United Hands Care Ltd

On this page

• 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 service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery

This service scored 75 (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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

The provider used an electronic care management system to securely maintain care plans and records. Care plans contained detailed information about people’s preferences, interests, and support needs, and reflected their physical, mental, and social wellbeing. Records showed people had been involved in developing their care plans and had shared information about their routines, likes, dislikes, and how they wished to receive care and support. Care plans were reviewed regularly to ensure they remained accurate and reflected any changes in people’s needs. Daily records confirmed people were supported in accordance with their assessed needs and personal preferences.

Person-centred care plans provided staff with clear guidance on how people preferred to be supported. This included information about people’s backgrounds, personal histories, and specific areas of support, such as personal care, continence care, and support to access the community.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Staff training records showed staff had received training including equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff were trained in dementia care, enabling them to recognise changing needs and work confidently and compassionately with specialists to deliver consistent, high‑quality support.

A person’s relative told us how the staff were knowledgeable about their family member’s health condition and any effects this may have on people. This had supported the relatives to better understand their family member. One relative said, “Yes, I feel that the carers know what they are doing. They appear confident and competent when supporting my [person]. [Person] has reduced mobility, dizziness, arthritis, pain, fatigue and incontinence, and requires support with several daily activities. The carers understand that [person] cannot be rushed, particularly during personal care, toileting and movement around the home.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

The principles of Accessible Information Standards were being met ensuring people received information in accessible formats. Communication plans included information on how to communicate effectively with people and people’s preferred communication style. Staff told us that they had access to communication materials when required to communicate with people effectively and communication plans supported them.

The registered manager told us, “If there is a language barrier, we try to allocate a care worker who can speak their language. We have a lot of care workers who can speak Somali, Bengali, Urdu and Gujrati. Service users from that background prefer to have staff who can speak their language it makes it easier communicating.”

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support.

Relatives we spoke with told us they knew how to raise concerns or make a complaint and felt confident to do so. They told us they would talk with staff or the manager if they had any complaints. They were aware of relative meetings they could attend. One relative told us, “To be honest, I've never had to make a complaint because we've been very happy with the service. Whenever I needed information or had questions about my [person's] care, United Hands have always kept me informed and responded quickly. I've always felt comfortable raising any concerns if I needed to.”

There were a policy and procedure in place that set out the steps if people or relatives needed to make a complaint, and information on how to complain was contained within a service user guide.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

People received care and support when they needed it. The management team regularly reviewed care arrangements to ensure people continued to have access to the appropriate level of support to meet their needs. Daily care records were completed and provided an overview of the care delivered, including any changes in people’s health and wellbeing. This helped to ensure staff were informed of changes in people’s conditions and could seek support from relevant healthcare professionals, such as GPs and dentists, when required.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

People and their relatives told us they were treated fairly, with dignity and respect, and that their rights were upheld. The service promoted equality and inclusion by recognising and responding to people’s individual needs, preferences, and circumstances. Systems were in place to identify and reduce potential inequalities, including those relating to communication, disability, and healthcare needs.

Staff had access to clear policies, procedures, training, and guidance to support inclusive and non-discriminatory practice. Regular spot checks and ongoing monitoring helped reinforce staff responsibilities and ensure people continued to receive equitable care and support.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

At the time of inspection no one was receiving end of life care. Staff we spoke to told us they were not currently supporting anyone on end-of-life care. The registered manager said if they supported someone with end-of-life care needs they would develop a care plan to discuss the person's wishes and would ensure staff were adequately trained.

Systems were in place to discuss end-of-life care and planning for the future, to ensure people’s needs and wishes were identified, should this be required.