Caremark North Norfolk & Great Yarmouth

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Care was delivered in a personalised and person-centred way, with a clear focus on building meaningful relationships and understanding what mattered most to each individual.

Care plans were detailed and well written and provided a clear insight into people’s lives, their histories and their preferences.

A person’s representative told us their relative had a live-in carer [S1] who rotated their time with the person’s family. The representative told us, “Caremark have been great in adapting to this arrangement and, in an emergency, there's a backup plan and [S2] will come in to cover.”

The representative told us, [S1] cares deeply for [relative]. [They] not only do the tasks, but [they] engage [relative] in great conversation. Even though [S1] wears full apron, gloves and shoe covers when needed, [S1] doesn't wear a uniform, so it is more personal for [relative]. When they are out and about, like going to appointments or to the shops, [relative] calls [S1] [their] ‘executive assistant’.” This person also added, “[Relative] enjoys doing jigsaw puzzles and [S1] will sit and support [them], as well as taking [them] to watch the local football team on a day out.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

The service demonstrated a good understanding of care provision and the importance of continuity and integrated support. Continuity of care was a clear strength, with small, consistent teams of staff supporting each person. This enabled staff to build strong relationships and quickly recognise any changes in people’s needs or wellbeing.

A person’s representative told us how much they appreciated the support provided by Caremark and explained, “[Relative] lives out in the country and some agencies would not cover it.”

The registered manager also told us how they had provided care to a person whilst they were on holiday. When this person returned home, they joined a Caremark company in their area, because they had been so impressed with how they had been supported by Caremark North Norfolk Great Yarmouth.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

People using the service and their representatives complimented the service on providing information and keeping them up to date. They said that information they were given was clear, easy to read and informative.

A person’s representative told us, “I also like the fact that I have access to the app on my phone so that I can keep up to date throughout the day without even having to ring them for an update.”

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

The management team and care staff regularly sought feedback to make continuous improvements, based on what was important to people. Feedback from people was acted on and quickly embedded into daily practice.

The service provided various opportunities for people and their representatives to give feedback about their experience of the overall service, as well as the care and support they received. This included regular reviews, visits to people, emails, telephone calls and questionnaires. We saw that feedback was reviewed and evaluated and the outcomes were used to improve the service.

People told us they had a positive experience when raising comments about the service and were involved in changing practice. A person’s representative told us, “I spoke to the manager about the timings not always being right. They have listened and they are trying to sort it. I am not keen on the App so I usually email them and they do respond.”

The provider had a complaints procedure, but had very few formal or informal complaints raised. Where there were any concerns, the management team ensured they captured these and were able to demonstrate where action had been taken to address them, learn lessons and improve the service.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff and the management team supported people to access healthcare resources as and when they needed. People’s care plans also contained information regarding other relevant healthcare professionals.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff and the management team ensured people’s disabilities were not a barrier to having fulfilled lives.

For example, people using the service, their representatives and information in people’s care plans described how people were supported to continue pursuing their hobbies, maintaining their home environments, caring for their pets and accessing the community.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

The management team and staff ensured people would be supported sensitively and in line with their choices when they reached the end of their lives. As and when required, the provider also told us that external professionals would also provide support alongside staff to ensure people received appropriate care and support.

A person’s representative told us, “[Person] has dementia but [they still have] capacity in most things. [Person] was the 1 that set up the care whilst [they] still could. [Person] has even discussed [their] end-of-life pathway with myself, their [family member] and Caremark.”