Aspire South West London

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 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 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 told us they were treated as individuals by staff, who respected their preferences and routines, and tailored care to their personal circumstances. One person said, “The agency has always sent female carers which I asked for and prefer.” Another added, “The carers treat me as an individual. The carers ask me what I like, so they know how I like things done.” Staff understood what mattered to people and ensured care was delivered in accordance with their expressed wishes as set out in people personalised care plan. A senior staff member told us, “We always take service users’ preferences into account when allocating staff to support them, including gender, cultural background, religion, and language wherever possible. Matching people with the right carers helps build trust and ensures people feel comfortable and understood in their own homes.”

Care plans contained detailed information about each person’s strengths, likes and dislikes, spiritual and cultural needs, and how they preferred staff to meet their personal care and support needs and wishes. This included receiving personal care from staff with their preferred gender. The office-based coordinator gave us examples of how they had actively matched staff with people who had expressed a wish to be supported by staff who they shared the same gender, religion, culture and/or language.

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 be as independent as possible with the tasks of daily living. Care plans gave staff a good overview of people’s differing dependency levels, so they knew exactly what people were willing and capable of doing safely for themselves, and what tasks they would need additional support with. One person told us, “My carer encourages me to walk so I can maintain my mobility and remain as independent as I can.”

People confirmed they had full choice and control of the care they received. One person said, “My carers will give me a choice and ask me what food I would like to eat or if I want to have a wash or a bath. It’s up to me what I do as my carer always gives me the chance to choose.” Another person added, “The carers know I do not like to mix colours and will always ask me what I would like to wear. They will give me different options of clothing from my wardrobe for me to choose from.” People’s choices and decisions were reflected in their care plan. Staff understood the preferred ways people communicated and expressed their choices.

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 supported people to access community health and medical care services as and when required. Staff were aware of people’s health care needs and how to respond to any immediate health care emergencies to minimise the risk of people 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 felt supported, valued and able to perform their roles effectively. Staff reported high levels of satisfaction with the support provided by the managers and senior staff based in the providers offices. A staff member told us, “I feel very supported by all the staff in the office and those I work directly with. We all look out for each other’s wellbeing and welfare.” Another added, “We all have regular meetings with our line managers which helps the staff team feel supported and valued.” Staff also told us they could request additional support or training as and when needed.