Seco Support Swindon

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 respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care.

This service scored 80 (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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

The service focused on relational support which meant building trusting secure relationships, to improve people’s outcomes and quality of life. We observed staff demonstrating kindness and genuine warmth in their interactions with people.

Staff demonstrated respect for people and their homes. Comments from staff included, “Although the person has a restriction that requires two staff members to be present, this does not mean she does not have the right to privacy. Her home is her own, and staff respect that by asking permission before entering rooms such as her bedroom and being mindful when doing things like chores in spaces she is using by seeking permission and including her”, “I always knock on doors before entering rooms, I will always ask before using the kitchen equipment” and “[Person] can do what they like, it is their home and we are there to support.”

During a visit to a person’s home, staff were observed treating the person with kindness, compassion and dignity. People were consistently involved in making decisions about all aspects of their lives and the service. Staff told us and demonstrated their role was to support people to do what they wanted at all times.

People’s care plans were written in a kind and compassionate way. For example, these plans included information about people’s gifts, talents and strengths.

During our visit to the office, we were told of an event happening called ‘Seco’s Got Talent’. We observed people taking part and staff supporting and empowering people. We observed senior leaders during this event speaking with people in a kind and encouraging manner.

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s care plans had comprehensive information about their likes and dislikes which helped staff provide exceptional care and support. Leaders ensured people were treated as individuals and as a result, people were supported to maintain their independence and follow their own interests.

Relatives told us and we saw that staff took the time to gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of people’s needs. Comments from relatives included, “Our family member has a great bond with all of the staff” and “My [relative] likes them and he feels part of a “family” as they have been in post for a considerable time.”

The model of support enabled care which was genuinely individualised to people’s needs. The manager told us, “We provide support to individuals in their own homes. These are bespoke, single person, supported living services. Each person that we support has their own tenancy and their own team of support workers that provide individualised support based on the persons specific needs and preferences.” Each service also had a service manager and all services and teams worked in a tailored way. One staff member told us, “With Seco, they don’t just say they are bespoke. They truly are.”

Staff had an exceptional understanding about people’s individual needs and understood what was important for people. Support provided was tailored to make sure that everyone was able to follow their own interests and live fulfilling lives. Records demonstrated people were active in their local community and had been supported to do what they wanted to do. For example, we saw pictures of people smiling and enjoying a holiday for the first time in a long time.

We observed one person had a whiteboard in their home with writing on it. The staff told us, “Most of the writing here is done by [Person].” The person had written different places they would like to go. During the visit we observed staff and the person talking about how these trips would be planned.

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

People’s choice and independence was promoted. For example, staff told us, “Even if we are cooking something and [Person] changes their mind, that is okay and he can have something else.”

Another staff member said, “When the person first moved in around six months ago, it took some time for her to adjust to being able to freely access the kitchen, as this had been restricted in her previous placement. At first, she would ask staff to bring her snacks. Staff would do this, but also gently remind her that this is her home and she can get snacks whenever she would like. Over time this progressed to the person getting snacks herself but letting staff know. Now she gets her own food and cold drinks and only lets staff know if she is running low.”

One relative said, “[Person] has had a lot of independence taken away. This is difficult to answer, l suppose there is room for improvement.” However, the person’s care records demonstrated the person was supported to be independent with household tasks. The relative also told us, “[Person] finds making choices difficult so often they are made for him. This is a work in progress as his cognitive ability returns.”

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 and their relatives told us staff were responsive to people’s needs. One relative commented, “The team are very responsive to [Person’s] needs varying from having to accompany her to hospital to meeting her needs when her mood is low or anxious.” Another relative described staff as “friendly and responsive”.

Staff explained the importance of effective communication in relation to being responsive to people’s needs. One staff member said, “Recognising the person’s needs involves paying close attention to both her verbal and non-verbal communication. When the person is feeling stable, they are able to communicate verbally. However, their ability to communicate can change depending on their mood, if they are in a new environment, or if something unexpected happens. Because of this, staff remain vigilant and pay close attention to body language, as this is often an early indicator that something may not be quite right.”

Another staff member commented, “A responsive support system is key, a service manager who prioritises and is available to support as needed. The on-call process is also structured and supportive to give 24-hour support every day of the year. Our action and reaction plan also support what to do in challenging situations. For example, what steps to take if someone we support absconds. This is completely personalised to the individual we support.”

This meant the staffing structure enabled staff to be highly responsive to people’s needs.

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

There were various infrastructures in place to support workforce wellbeing, such as employee assist programme, flexible working, and reasonable adjustments. Staff generally spoke positively about how they were supported. Comments from staff included, “I feel I am treated very well at work, I feel valued and respected. The employee assistance programme is a useful tool in support, and also financial support for things like gym membership, or dental appointments. Regular supervisions also feed in to feeling valued. Feedback is given often, as well as praise” and “I feel I am treated well within the workplace.”