Caremark North Norfolk & Great Yarmouth

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 ratedGood. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

There was a culture of kindness and respect across all staff which was embedded into day-to-day practice.

People were complimentary about the kindness of staff and how they supported them with dignity and respect.

A person told us, “The carers are kind and respectful and I am very satisfied with the care I receive.” Another person said, “They know me well. They are polite and kind and I am extremely satisfied.”

People and their representatives told us staff were not only respectful of them but also of their personal situations, including their pets and individual home environments.

A person’s representative told us staff were, “Friendly and professional.”. Another representative explained, “Since coming back from hospital, [Relative] has a live in carer. [Relative] is not the easiest of people to live with, but the carer is wonderful. [Care staff] is so respectful and when we go and visit [Relative], they answer the door, make us feel welcome.”

Care staff ensured people were treated with respect and their dignity was protected. Care staff were sensitive when supporting with personal care and ensured people remained comfortable throughout.

People and their representatives also told us that care staff often did additional things that had a big impact and made a big difference to people’s life, happiness and wellbeing.

For example, a person’s representative told us, “There was one time in the early days when my [Relative] had a fall outside. A carer from Caremark just happened to be walking past and they went straight over and sat with [Relative] until an ambulance arrived. They said it was their ‘duty of care’ and the company did not charge for this.”

Another representative told us, “They have gone above and beyond. Like when the dog needed [veterinary attention], they took [Relative] and the dog along to the vets. They really are person centred.”

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.

The service demonstrated a commitment to recognising and valuing people as individuals, with a culture that promoted personalised care.

A person’s representative told us, “[Staff] have got to know [Relative] well; [their] likes and dislikes. We are very satisfied and have no worries. [Relative] says [they] wish [they] could afford to have them every day.”

Staff and the management team knew the people they supported well and spoke about them with warmth and compassion. We saw evidence that demonstrated how staff saw people as unique individuals and respected their histories, preferences and aspirations.

Care plans were personalised and included information about people’s care needs, as well as their social interests and hobbies, lifestyle preferences and important personal information. This enabled staff to have a clear understanding of each person and their needs.

People were asked about gender preferences in respect of the care staff who supported them. Where a preference was stated, this was respected and honoured.

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

People were supported to maintain their independence, make choices and remain in control of their daily lives.

A person’s representative told us, “Ideally [Relative] wants to be as independent as possible and the staff have worked respectfully with that. [Relative] eats very little, but staff give [Relative] a choice of what [they] eat.”

People told us they were in charge of their care, and information within people’s care plans confirmed this. Care plans provided clear and detailed information regarding what people could do independently and what they needed support with. In some cases, we saw it was the level of support that was particularly important. This demonstrated that staff worked hard to enable people to maintain their independence as much as possible, rather than doing everything for them.

The provider and staff also demonstrated a strong commitment to reducing social isolation. People’s choices about how they spent their time were respected and, in accordance with people’s wishes, staff supported people to engage in the community and undertake activities of their choice.

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 representatives gave positive feedback about how quickly and effectively staff responded to people’s immediate needs, to help ensure safety, reassurance and continuity of care. A person’s representative told us, “The management staff are obliging and have been able to accommodate changes to the care package as necessary.”

The service responded to people’s immediate needs in ways that prioritised dignity, reassurance and continuity.

Staff recognised the importance of familiarity and emotional support alongside clinical responses. This helped ensure that people felt safe, valued and cared for. This culture of responsiveness contributed to improved outcomes and experiences for people and their families.

A person’s representative told us, “Nothing is too much trouble. [Staff] are reliable and always stay for their allotted time. [They] are very kind and caring and try to reassure [Person] when [they] get worried.” This representative told us how staff would reassure the person, by explaining things like their family member would be visiting soon, but were at work at the moment. Also, how [Person]’s dog was safe with [Representative], who would be calling round soon and bringing the dog with them.

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

The provider demonstrated a commitment to workforce wellbeing and enablement and staff felt valued and recognised for their contributions.

The provider shared some of their workforce wellbeing initiatives with us and told us, “Good care needs a team that feels valued.” The provider stated in supporting information they sent to us that, “We have tried to build the kind of workplace where carers are supported to stay, learn and do their job properly – because continuity for staff becomes continuity for customers.”

We saw that some of the benefits for staff included a living wage, paid travel time and mileage support, funded training, a free DBS, free gym membership, career progression and development opportunities. There were also inhouse competitions, where staff could have some fun, whilst also having the opportunity of winning rewarding prizes.

A member of staff told us, “I feel well supported in my role and confident approaching my seniors whenever I have any questions or concerns.”

Another member of staff said, “I also think it is really positive that staff are made aware of compliments received about their work, as this helps them feel appreciated and recognised for the difference they make to clients. Any concerns raised are also dealt with promptly and efficiently, which I feel demonstrates that feedback is taken seriously. Overall, I feel that Caremark provides a supportive working environment where staff are encouraged to learn and develop. I would highly recommend Caremark North Norfolk Great Yarmouth as a place to work.”