Coastal Homecare (Hove) Limited

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 and their relatives told us that staff treated them with kindness. They also said staff respected them and their property. One person told us, “[Staff member] couldn't be more respectful of our home and our belongings and she keeps them neat and tidy and hygienic”. Another said, “Absolutely, the support is good and couldn’t be better. They really do care”.

Staff demonstrated kindness throughout our discussions with them. They highlighted that treating people with dignity and respect was a strong value across the agency. Regular ‘Let’s Talk About…’ email reminders were sent to staff, and one contained tips on upholding people’s dignity.

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’s care plans contained details of their life histories, likes, dislikes and preferences. Staff took time to get to know people and deliver care in a way that was individualised to them. One staff member said, “I chat to people, that’s how you get the best from them. I realised I had some common ground with one of my clients by just getting to know them.” A person told us, “[Staff] don’t just care for me. They go above and beyond to do what they can for my relative as well. This is important to me as it helps me with our relationship.”

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

Staff supported people to maintain their own skills and strengths, to develop and improve their independence. Care records detailed how people should be supported and highlighted what people could still do themselves. Daily records showed that people had been given choices to remain in control of their care, and feedback from both people and staff confirmed this. One relative told us, “[Person] is not able to entertain themselves anymore, but the carer will always try and encourage them to do activities.” Another person had been supported to go shopping for furniture for their property, something they had not been able to do previously.

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.

Staff knew people well and were responsive to any changes in their needs. The electronic care plans were live documents, meaning staff could make changes rapidly. Staff told us that they received additional messages when a person’s needs changed to ensure they supported them in the correct way. Care plans contained details of what action to take in an emergency, and contact details of relevant parties, for example, next of kin and GPs. People spoke highly of staff meeting their needs. One person told us, “I cannot speak more highly about [staff member], they are so wonderful and so lovely. For example, they will make my bed and even if they’re not asked to do that. They just know what I need.”

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 and valued and knew how to raise concerns if needed. One staff member said, “This place is good, I love to work here. I'm happy and [office staff and registered manager] are very nice people. I'm always smiling, always having fun and a laugh.” Records showed high levels of staff satisfaction overall, with strong confidence in leadership. Staff spoke of pride in working for the organisation and would recommend working for the provider to their friends and loved ones.

There were a variety of staff support systems in place. Steps had also been taken to lessen stressors for staff. For example, electric bikes had been provided to make travelling between care calls easier. The provider also held events to encourage team building and to thank staff for their efforts.

Staff also spoke positively about access to training and opportunities to develop their skills. The provider actively encouraged staff to continue their professional development, with some staff undertaking apprenticeships. Staff told us their workloads were manageable with sufficient times between visits. One staff member told us, “They really look after us here, I feel supported 100%”.