HF Trust Devon

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 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 did not always treat people with kindness, empathy and compassion, or respect

their privacy and dignity. Staff did not always treat colleagues from other organisations with

kindness and respect.

Staff were kind and caring. Staff engaged with people in a friendly and caring manner and their conversations with people were good natured. Staff were attentive to people's needs. People told us, “Staff are kind and caring”, “They [staff] treat me well. They [staff] are kind” and “I am happy. They [staff] are kind. They make me feel safe.”

People’s privacy and dignity were mostly respected. During2 of the site inspections, we saw staff knock on people’s bedroom doors and waited for a response before entering. A staff member told us, “If we need to go into a room, we knock and wait for consent and then we will go in.” A person commented, “Carers knock before they enter my room.”

However, during1site inspection we observed staff repeatedly entering a person’s home without knocking. Used breakfast crockery had been left on the person’s table while they were eating, and staff belongings were also placed on the same table. This was fed back to the provider, who assured us that this should not be happening and confirmed they would address the matter with staff.

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 understood people’s needs and provided care in a way which was personalised to them. Staff had taken time to get to know people, which helped promote positive working relationships and helped people feel comfortable when in the presence of staff. Staff had a knowledge of people’s individual preferences and routines. This helped to ensure the care they provided was tailored to the individual they were supporting.

Staff were observed making use of visual aids such as diagrams, pictures, and symbols to support understanding, alongside Easy Read materials designed for people with learning disabilities or cognitive impairments. The service also recognised the importance of adapting to sensory sensitivities, maintaining routines, and tailoring communication methods to promote inclusion.

Communication plans for people were clear. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of what people needed through verbal and non-verbal cues. People were able to communicate and make their needs known because staff understood them well and had clear guidance.

One relative told us “[Name] has a good relationship with staff, particularly with the current staff.” 

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 views and decisions about care were incorporated within their care packages. This helped staff to support people in a way which allowed people to have control over their lives and make day-to-day decisions.

People told us, “I have a choice, when I do things, I get up when I want and cook when I want. If I’m tired, I stay in bed longer”, “The carers respect my wishes” and “It is flexible here, I get up when I want, I shower whenever I want, and the carers know what I like and what I don’t like.” A staff member told us, “We prompt them [people] to eat and choose their foods, we always give choices and always get consent too.”

 Information about advocacy was available for people. Advocacy is a process for supporting people to express their views and concerns.

 People’s independence was encouraged where possible and care plans reflected this. A staff member told us, “In any care task, we involve them [people] and gain consent before supporting with any tasks, such as, when administering medication, supporting with a shower, and supporting with meal choices and food.” A relative commented, “They [staff] support [person’s] independence.”

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 were responsive and attentive to people and their needs. A relative told us, “I really like the way[name]is so responsive.[Name] is really good. If I say anything to[name] they will always respond promptly.”  

People were happy with how their care was arranged and delivered. One person told us, “The carers do an excellent job. They are so passionate about their work. They [staff] are really good.”

Rotas were well planned and provided consistency to staff and people who used the service.

The service supported people to access external health and medical care services as and when required. Staff were aware of the people’s health care needs and how to respond to any immediate health care emergencies to minimise the risk of them becoming distressed or unwell, emotionally and/or physically.

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

Staff wellbeing was supported through staff meetings, supervisions and annual appraisals. These meetings gave staff opportunities to discuss best practice as well as their own staff development.

The provider implemented an employee award scheme designed to enhance motivation, boost morale, and ensure employee performance is properly recognised and valued.

Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the management. Their comments included, “Management are very supportive and treat us all equally. We [staff] are all treated well”, “Management treat us well, I have no issues or concerns” and “We have good relationships [between staff and management] and we work well together.”