Blessing's Care

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 70 (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 took time to get to know people, their preferences and what was important to them. Positive and trusting relationships had developed between people and staff. One relative told us, "My relative and the main carer have a close bond and friendship. They laugh together. When my relative has visitors the carer will leave the room to give privacy."

Staff understood the importance of promoting independence, respecting privacy and providing support in a way that maintained people's dignity and individuality.

People were treated as individuals and received care and support that reflected their needs, preferences and abilities.

Care plans and service documentation provided person centred guidance to support staff to deliver care in a way that promoted choice, independence and positive outcomes.

Care plans included information about people's communication needs, routines, interests, food preferences and methods of reassurance. For example, one person enjoyed eating meals with staff sitting at the table and liked a glass of wine with lunch. which was reflected in feedback received from a relative. Another person's care plan described techniques staff should use to reduce anxiety, including discussing gardening, looking at photographs and supporting contact with family members.

Care records also contained detailed information about people's preferred care routines, clothing choices and health needs. This helped staff provide personalised care that respected people's individuality, promoted positive outcomes and supported people to maintain as much independence as possible.

The provider's values and person centred approach promoted people's rights, choice, inclusion and independence.

Staff encouraged people to make decisions about their care and support and provided information about how to raise concerns or make complaints.

Staff understood the importance of respecting people's rights and supporting them to remain as independent as possible. They recognised people's strengths and adapted support to maximise independence. For example, one person was supported to prepare their own breakfast by independently buttering toast and choosing preferred toppings, while staff managed aspects of the task identified as higher risk. Another person was supported to make hot drinks, with staff partially filling the kettle to reduce risks while enabling the person to remain involved. These approaches helped people maintain skills, retain control over daily routines and achieve positive outcomes.

People did not always receive care and support at the time it was planned. Whilst staff understood how to monitor people's wellbeing, recognise signs of distress and respond to changes in need, relatives told us delays to care visits sometimes caused frustration and anxiety.

One relative said, "They are not always on time, and we are not sure when they will turn up. When they do, they are very helpful and good. If they aren’t on time it puts my relative out and it’s frustrating." Another relative told us, "My relative doesn't know who is coming or if they are late or early."

Staff had access to care records, electronic systems and escalation procedures to support responsive care. However, inconsistent visit times and communication about delays reduced people's confidence and did not always support their wellbeing or minimise avoidable distress.

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

Staff consistently told us they felt supported by the registered manager, management team and colleagues. Staff described a positive culture and said they were confident concerns would be listened to and acted upon. One staff member told us the registered manager was approachable, listened to staff and was committed to the wellbeing of both staff and people using the service.