Brooklands Homecare Ltd

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 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’s dignity was upheld by staff, a relative said, “They always shut the door so [person] can have shower in privacy.” Staff gave us practical examples of how they respected people’s privacy. People told us staff were kind and caring, a person said, "They are so caring, the carers help me with everything, I don’t know what I would do without them. There is nothing they wouldn't do for me and I wouldn't survive without them". A relative told us, “In terms of standing out, [staff member and staff member] really do, they go the extra mile to make sure everything is ok for [person] and their attention to detail.” A social care professional commented, “From my observations, they treat people with dignity and respect at all times and work hard to support individuals to live as independently as possible.” Staff spoke about people with passion and respect; they completed daily care notes in a respectful way.

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. Staff knew people’s individuality and personalities, they knew what was important to them. Staff told us in detail about people and their likes and dislikes. A staff member commented, “I always say the sign of a good carer is if you ask about the person, a good carer should be able to tell you some history about them, their life and what-not. The social side of things are as important as the physical.” People told us staff knew them well and they knew staff too. A relative said, “[Person] likes the carers and the carers likes [person].” People’s protected characteristics were met; the branch manager gave examples of how staff adjusted their practices to meet a person’s religious needs.

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 their relatives told us staff always offered choices. A relative told us, “I always put [person’s] clothes out the night before which they like and [staff member] knows where they are. If I forget [staff member] knows which drawers they are in and checks [person] is happy with what is suggested. [Person] would say if they were not.” Another relative said, “[Person] has mild dementia, they can make some decisions. I have Lasting Power of Attorney and make decisions for [person] if needed.” A staff member told us about the importance of promoting independence, and commented, “We are as carers there to assist but not to take over, so they can remain as independent as they wish.”

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. Despite the lack of care plans, staff knew people very well and were able to detect signs of deterioration. A staff member told us of a recent occasion where a person was not their usual selves, the staff member suspected a urine infection and escalated to the GP, within hours the person received antibiotics to treat the infection. People and their relatives told us Brooklands Homecare provided a flexible service where possible to accommodate changes to their family member’s needs, a relative said, “We have made some changes for [person], increasing the number of calls and reducing time at night. They have been accommodating and flexible.”

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff’s home lives were considered when rotas were being developed to accommodate time off. The branch manager told us they and staff were close as most had worked for the service for many years. Staff told us they enjoyed working for the service, their comments included, “It’s a lovely company, what you hear and what you see (is what you get), they are lovely. I know if I go to [branch manager] and say what's needed, they will do their best. I wouldn’t be with them if I wasn't happy.” And, “I have had good support my choices are taken into account regarding my working hours and if I need to change them they have always accommodated. Communication is good. If I have any worries and concerns I would phone my manager as I know they would support me.”