Bhandal Homecare

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

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

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 80 (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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Relatives consistently described staff as caring, kind and trustworthy, while people receiving support spoke highly of the compassion, professionalism and expertise demonstrated by carers. The consistent staff team enabled positive, trusting relationships to develop over time, helping people feel comfortable, respected and valued.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect, particularly when providing personal care. They took time to explain what support would be provided, sought people's consent, and adapted care to reflect individual preferences. Staff used people's preferred names and ensured care was delivered in a way that promoted privacy, choice and independence.

Feedback demonstrated the positive impact staff had on people's lives. One person told us, “I really feel uncomfortable when female care workers turn up to help me shower, so now on my shower days a man arrives to help me.” Another said, “I really look forward to my shower because the carer sits and chats and will bring in a few little bits of shopping for me the next day.” A further person described how staff responded when they became unwell, saying, “I was rushed into hospital; the carers called the paramedics. Not only did they care for me, but they stayed and looked after my house and dogs. They really are amazing.”

These examples showed staff went beyond providing task-based care, working with kindness and compassion to ensure people felt safe, listened to and supported in a way that respected their dignity and individual wishes.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Rotas were planned around people's individual preferences, needs and routines, ensuring care was delivered at times that suited them and in ways they preferred. People were supported by a consistent team of staff, which promoted continuity of care, helped build trusting relationships and ensured staff maintained a detailed understanding of people's changing needs and preferences.

People were supported by carers they knew and were familiar with. Records showed that almost all visits were carried out by carers who had previously supported the person, helping to provide consistent and personalised care.

We saw an example of staff training in conjunction with the stoma nurse and the person supported, to create person-centred learning for staff on how best to support them with stoma care. This had been created collaboratively with the person to ensure their care and support met their individual needs and preferences and also provided the person with assurance that staff were trained in the way they wished their care to be delivered.

People's preferences, life history and background were reflected in their care plans. Staff adapted their approach to meet individual needs, helping people feel listened to, respected and in control of their care.

The provider was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff promoted people's independence in ways that reflected their individual needs and preferences. They adapted communication using personalised approaches such as visual prompts, written reminders, familiar routines and allowing extra time for people to make decisions. For example, one person was supported to use a device using head movements to communicate and make choices about their daily routine and care, enabling them to communicate their preferences independently.

Staff worked alongside people and those important to them to find personalised approaches that promoted independence and choice. One relative told us their family member, who had previously refused personal care, "is now letting the carers shower them every day" after staff developed a routine based on their preferences and choices.

People were supported to maintain control over major decisions affecting their lives. One person who needed to move from their home for a period chose to stay in a temporary bungalow rather than a residential respite setting. Staff continued to support them in the environment they preferred, helping them retain independence and familiarity.

Staff recognised the importance of giving people the tools and support needed to manage their own affairs. One person who communicated using a communication device was supported to access information independently and use their own benefits account, working with an advocate to make decisions for themselves.

People were encouraged to do as much as possible for themselves. When people told staff they no longer needed certain care visits because they were managing tasks independently, staff worked with commissioners to reduce support packages in line with their wishes. For example, one person chose to stop tea-time visits because they could make their own drinks and later reduced lunch-time visits because they preferred going out with a friend.

Records consistently showed staff listened to people, respected their decisions and adapted support to reflect changing needs. Care visits were flexible and arranged around what was important to people, including family events, appointments and social activities. This person-centred approach enabled people to maintain relationships, take part in meaningful activities and retain choice and control over their daily lives.

The provider listened to and understood people's needs, views and wishes. Staff responded promptly to changes in people's circumstances and took action to reduce distress, discomfort and risks to people's wellbeing.

The registered manager and staff demonstrated a good understanding of the people they supported and used this knowledge to provide responsive, person-centred care. People and their relatives told us they felt well supported and were confident staff would act when concerns arose. One relative told us, “Since Bhandal became involved, it has completely changed our life. Knowing there is always someone there to support (relative) when they need it means I no longer have to worry as much. The carers do an amazing job of supporting (person) and keeping them safe.”

Another relative, who lived some distance away, told us “I had to use the out-of-hours service recently and the phone was answered immediately. Knowing someone was available and responded so quickly gave me confidence that help would be there when I needed it.”

We saw several examples of staff responding flexibly to people's needs and providing support during unexpected situations. For example, one person was planning to cancel their care visit because they were distressed and out searching for their missing dog. Staff recognised the impact this was having on the person and, rather than cancelling the visit, supported them to look for the dog and helped ensure it was found and returned safely. This reduced the person's anxiety, provided reassurance during a difficult situation and demonstrated the service's commitment to supporting people's wellbeing beyond their planned care needs.

This responsive and caring approach helped ensure people received timely support when they needed it, promoting their wellbeing, reducing anxiety and helping them remain safe and independent.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The registered manager demonstrated a commitment to supporting staff wellbeing and enabling the workforce to thrive. Most of the staff we received feedback from described a culture where they felt valued, listened to and supported both professionally and personally. They felt the service was committed to providing high-quality care and promoting positive outcomes for people. Overall, feedback indicated a positive culture, where staff mainly felt appropriate actions were taken when concerns were raised.

Staff told us they received regular supervision and attended team meetings, which provided opportunities to discuss training and development needs, raise any concerns and access emotional support. This helped staff feel supported, valued and confident in their roles.