Everkind Healthcare Limited

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• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider placed people at the centre of decisions about their care and support. Staff worked in partnership with people and those close to them to respond when their needs, wishes or circumstances changed.

People’s care plans reflected their health conditions, relationships, daily routines, personal histories and preferences. Plans were person-centred and guided staff on how each person wanted their care to be delivered. Relatives also contributed information about people’s routines and preferences where appropriate.

Staff also adapted support when people changed their minds. One person told us, “They meet all of my needs. I was due to go to a group today but changed my mind, so we did something that was more to my interest.” This demonstrated that staff respected the person’s decision and adjusted the planned support around their preferred activity.

The provider understood people’s diverse health and care needs and adapted care arrangements around their appointments, routines and choices. However, people did not always experience continuity when temporary staff provided their care.

Relatives said new or agency workers did not always know the person, understand their preferences or follow their established routines. As a result, relatives repeatedly had to explain the person’s needs and how they wanted their care to be delivered. One relative told us, “When you have new people, they know their job, but they don’t know the person.” This placed additional responsibility on relatives and reduced their confidence in the consistency of care.

Following this feedback, the provider asked the supplying agency to allocate a smaller, more consistent group of workers. They also introduced shadow shifts and recorded handovers for new agency staff. However, these arrangements were newly introduced and had not yet been established in practice or evaluated for effectiveness. The provider could not therefore demonstrate that the changes had improved continuity or reduced the risk of people receiving inconsistent care.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. The provider identified and recorded people’s individual communication needs and preferences within their care plans.

Staff were given guidance on how to communicate effectively with people, including those living with dementia. This supported people to understand information and participate in their care and support. The provider’s policies also stated that information could be made available in alternative or accessible formats when required.

The provider made it easy for people and those close to them to share feedback, raise concerns or make complaints. Feedback was gathered through forms, care reviews and direct contact with the registered manager. People and relatives generally described leaders as accessible and responsive.

One relative told us, “On the whole [the registered manager] is always there to try and help me.” A person using the service also said, “I have no problem informing on anyone if I think there’s something wrong.” This demonstrated that people felt able to speak openly about concerns.

There were examples of the provider listening and making changes in response to feedback. When one person raised a concern about a staff member, the provider changed the staffing arrangement, and the person described their experience with the replacement staff member positively. Relatives also described the registered manager adapting care arrangements and working with them to find solutions when existing arrangements were not meeting the person’s or family’s needs.

The provider supported people to access the care, treatment and support they needed in ways that reflected their individual needs. Care plans identified potential barriers relating to mobility, communication, anxiety, dementia and unfamiliar environments, and included guidance for staff about the reasonable adjustments required.

One person’s care plan identified that they experienced anxiety in unfamiliar settings. Staff were guided to support them to attend appointments, explain arrangements in advance and use calming techniques when needed. A staff member described accompanying the person to appointments with different professionals and encouraging them to attend GP appointments by explaining the potential benefits to their health.

The person also confirmed that staff provided transport to frequent hospital appointments while respecting their choice to attend consultations independently. Leaders described adapting the timing of care visits around people’s healthcare appointments, which helped people access services without unnecessarily disrupting their usual care arrangements.

The provider identified people’s individual needs and preferences and made adjustments to reduce barriers and promote equitable experiences and outcomes.

Care plans considered people’s physical and mental health, communication needs, relationships and individual preferences. They guided staff on the reasonable adjustments needed to provide personalised support. For example, one person’s preference for female staff to provide personal care was respected.

Care plans also included adjustments for people living with dementia, such as using simple language, allowing sufficient time to respond, maintaining eye contact and introducing themselves before providing support. Staff supported people with mobility needs or anxiety to attend healthcare appointments and access services in ways that reflected their individual needs.

Staff completed equality and diversity training, and the provider’s policies reflected equality and human rights requirements. This supported staff to recognise people’s individual circumstances and make appropriate adjustments to promote equitable experiences and outcomes.

People were supported to plan ahead for important changes in their health and care needs, including at the end of their life.

One person had been identified as approaching the end of their life. Their care plan reflected their complex health needs, decisions about resuscitation, involvement from hospice services and anticipatory care arrangements. It also provided staff with information about what mattered to the person and how they wished to be supported with dignity and compassion, including guidance about emergency arrangements and when to seek professional advice.