31-32, Southernhay East

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

We assessed all of the quality statements within this key question. Our rating for the caring key question is good. People told us staff were kind, caring and respected people’s right to privacy and to be treated with dignity. People were encouraged to do as much as they could for themselves, to maintain, build and further strengthen their independence to undertake the tasks of daily living. Staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs during times of distress. Staff wellbeing was promoted to support them to always deliver person-centred care.

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.

People told us staff were kind and caring. Comments included, “I have been more than happy with the care and they [the care workers] went out of their way to help me with everything” and “I am very happy with them [care workers] and would recommend them to anyone.” People felt staff would respond to their needs quickly and efficiently, especially if they were in pain, discomfort or distress.

Staff told us they focussed on meeting peoples’ needs and helping them and gave us examples of how they supported people in a kind and person centre way. The management team and staff spoke about people respectfully and with kindness.

We spoke with partners working with the service. There were no concerns highlighted relating to the kindness, compassion and dignity of the service. One health professional told us the registered manager had always been compassionate when discussing the needs of people and the service was very helpful, quick to respond and very pleasant to deal with.

People and staff told us the service treated people as individuals and met their individual needs. Comments from people and relatives included, “My particular carer is excellent and I am now better than I have been and she knows and we have built up a good rapport and now she is going to take me shopping too.”

The management team demonstrated an understanding of people’s care and support needs and preferences. Staff were able to tell us people’s individual needs and how to support them to be as independent as possible.

The service ensured people were respected and treated as individuals. Their care was assessed and planned with their involvement and in line with their requirements and preferences. People’s care plans identified people’s individual needs and preferences and guided staff on how the person liked to be provided care and support. The records identified tasks the person was able to complete and others where they needed support. People were allocated a main care worker who got to know them well, which people appreciated.

People told us care received promoted their independence. People said, “I think [the registered manager] is very good with the carers and I am able to talk to her if I have any concerns” and “I am very happy, the carers are very nice and lovely.”

Staff gave us examples of how they encouraged people to be independent. One person told us how the care workers encouraged them to persevere with their mobility walker and gave them time to mobilise. Staff were respectful of people’s choices and how they lived their life. However, there was limited guidance on how to manage issues when people refused to accept care. The registered manager said they would address this.

The registered manager had systems and processes in place to ensure people’s choices and decisions informed how their care and support were provided. The management team undertook assessments and reviews of people’s care and support needs and obtained information such as people’s likes and dislikes, preferred routines and how they wished to spend their day. This information was shared with staff through each person’s care plan. People told us they were happy with the timings of their care and felt they could approach the registered manager with any issues.

People and their relatives told us about times where staff had noticed changes in the person’s health and had discussed these changes with them in order to contact the relevant professional and receive appropriate treatment.

Staff knew peoples’ needs and gave us examples of how they supported people with care that met their needs and preferences. Staff told us about how they would escalate any concerns or queries. Staff told us about times when they had sourced immediate support from medical professionals due to changes in the person’s health needs or if someone had fallen. Staff were able to tell us who they would contact in response to non-urgent and emergency situations. Daily records were documented by staff and highlighted any changes in the person’s presentation or needs. The registered manager said they would ensure any information logged on their phone would now be included in the care plans, for example information about self neglect.

Most staff told us they enjoyed working for 31/32 Southernhay East and felt well supported by the provider and registered manager. Staff told us, “The provider has been very supportive to me. I was given a car loan when I joined the company which made it easier for me to do my work properly and reach client's house on time” and “I am free to ring the managers with any problems which I am experiencing. Managers are always available during working hours.” However, not all staff felt supported in relation to being able to raise employment issues or about sick leave and pressure to cover vacant shifts at very short notice (see well led section). We fed this back to the registered manager.

Regular one to one formal supervision for staff and records of staff interactions with management were lacking. However, staff told us how they were visited by the registered manager during their work and staff mostly said they found the registered manager and provider supportive, and they could contact them during working hours. Some staff said they had raised issues previously with the registered manager but issues had not been resolved. This was not aided by the lack of formal supervision.