- Homecare service
Helping Hands Ferndown
Assessment report published 7 April 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Helping Hands Ferndown is a domiciliary care service providing a regulated activity of personal care. The service provides care and support to people in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. The inspection was carried out between 16 and 18 February 2026. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 39 people who were receiving personal care.
A new manager had recently started at the service, and their registration with CQC was being processed. The provider had a positive learning culture, and incidents and complaints were appropriately investigated and reported. Staff told us they understood risks and managed them well. There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and competent staff to meet people's care needs. People were involved in assessing their needs. Staff monitored people’s health and worked with other health and social care professionals to support them. Staff helped people to understand their care so they could give informed consent. People told us they knew how to give feedback or raise concerns if necessary.
People told us they were treated kindly and with respect. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They supported people as individuals and followed their preferences. The provider also supported staff wellbeing.
Leaders and staff shared a clear vision based on listening, learning and trust. Staff understood their roles and felt able to give feedback. There was a strong focus on learning and improving the service, so people received good quality care.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives provided us with feedback, we also contacted professionals from the local authority and other organisations to obtain feedback about people’s experiences.
Feedback seen and obtained about the service and the staff was positive. The Helping Hands team were described as “excellent”.
Relatives and people told us they felt safe using this service.
Leaders were described as approachable and responsive in their approach. People told us staff stayed the full duration of their visits. People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns if needed and were provided with information to meet their communication needs.