Alina Homecare - Dorchester

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 newly registered 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 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People were supported by staff who were always kind and caring and who supported them in a way which promoted their wellbeing. People and relatives described staff as, “Caring, compassionate and kind”, “Cheerful and pleasant”, “Polite and punctual.” One person commented, “Staff are extremely confident in what they do and have an understanding.”

Everyone we spoke with gave overwhelmingly positive feedback about the staff and the service. People and relatives consistently told us staff supported them with empathy and understanding of their different life experiences and circumstances. One relative told us, “My [loved one] is very happy with all the staff who visit her. They help my [loved one] with emotional and practical needs. They are friendly and helpful over the phone when needed.”

Supervisions and spot checks were used to monitor staff performance, including how staff interacted with people. This helped ensure people were treated with respect, dignity and care. Management told us that staff demonstrated good communication skills and engaged positively with people, often holding conversations, sharing appropriate humour and offering companionship. These interactions helped to break up the person’s day and provided something meaningful to look forward to during staff visits. One staff member told us, “I believe a small chat can brighten someone’s day. Sometimes doing the little things for them on a bad day can lift a weight off their shoulders.”

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.

People and relatives told us staff knew them well and their care was delivered in the way they wanted and not in a task-centred way. People were treated as individuals and staff spent time getting to know them and supported them how they wanted.

The provider ensured that staff consistently treated people as individuals and quickly responded to changing needs. Each person had a care plan developed in close collaboration with them and others important to them. People received care which was personalised around their individual needs and preferences and in the context of their life histories and experiences. People’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs were considered in their care plans and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of people’s individual differences and how to support them in a way that suited them best. People’s care plans were detailed, and person centred.

People had communication care plans in place that guided staff how to communicate with them, and people's sensory needs were considered in care plans.

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

People and relatives confirmed they had as much choice and control as possible in their lives. One person told us, “I am always given a choice. I always feel listened to.”

The provider ensured people were supported to have as much choice and control as possible in their lives and kept them informed about any changes to their support. This included people’s preferences in relation to the staff who provided their support. Staff knew people well and supported them to direct their own health and care whenever they could and encouraged them to maintain and develop their independence. They supported people to be independent when they were able and monitored them to make sure they were safe. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s social needs. People were supported to maintain and develop their relationships with those close to them, their social networks and community. People were supported to have access to their family, friends and community.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

People’s support plans contained person-centred guidance for staff on how to meet people’s emotional needs including details of the different levels of emotional wellbeing and triggers for people’s distress and the action staff should take. This meant staff had information to identify when they needed to intervene to prevent or reduce the likelihood and impact of low mood or distress.

Staff anticipated needs, recognised deterioration, communicated concerns and ensured timely intervention. Relatives told us staff recognised when people were showing signs of low mood or distress or illness and acted quickly. Comments included, “My [loved one] suffers with mental health and they are always willing to talk and support [them] in any way they can.”

Relatives also commented on staff being responsive and emotionally available, “Staff are extremely good at dealing with [my loved one], who has dementia. They have lots of patience, and a kind, caring attitude.”

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

The provider had an employee rewards system and wellbeing assistance program in place for staff to access. The registered manager actively encouraged staff to share concerns and engage in open dialogue, fostering a supportive culture where staff felt heard and valued. All staff confirmed they felt supported and appreciated by the provider and the management team. Comments included, “I have never felt more appreciated in a role than I do here” and “I feel supported and appreciated throughout the whole of my employment with Alina Homecare. We have ‘carer of the month’ scheme and receive pay rises.”

Staff told us they had a sense of belonging and the ability to contribute to decision making. They told us they were offered opportunities to feedback about concerns about the service provided or their own wellbeing and felt confident to raise any issues by phone and through regular supervisions. Comments from staff included, “Management always listen to me. Any concerns that I have are always actioned. Supervisions are always done. And the management [team] always check up on us to see if there’s any extra support we need.”

By ensuring staff had the necessary support, the provider empowered them to make decisions and deliver care that was tailored to people who used the service. Staff were supported with training and completed an induction programme to provide them the skills and knowledge to support people.