Nationwide Care Services Ltd (Dudley)

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 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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Staff and relatives told us people were provided with positive, kind and dignified care. Staff described they treated people as they would treat their own family, and people and relatives supported this, with one person saying, “They are very pleasant and keen to learn.”

Leaders told us staff inductions and training were developed to ensure staff were clear on the importance of people being treated with compassion and dignity.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

Although people’s longer-term wishes and preferences were not consistently documented, care plans and risk assessments reflected people’s individual needs and preferences. For example, records made reference to people’s individual health needs and how they wanted these to be met by staff.

People were consulted about their care arrangements, and people and relatives told us staff treated them as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment aligned with their needs and preferences.

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 were sought. For example, people and their relatives told us they were involved in the care planning process.

People who had capacity to make decisions about their care arrangements told us they were encouraged and supported by staff to have independence and control over their care. For example, 1 person told us, “They know what I require and do exactly what I want.” Where people were unable to make decisions for themselves, staff got to know people well and were able to present informed choices to support people in making those decisions.

Care records showed people were encouraged and supported to have choice and control over their lives.

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 were supported by a mostly consistent care team, which staff and relatives told us enabled them to be able to get to know and understand the needs of the people they supported. One person told us, “I don’t call them my carers; they are more like friends.”

Staff completed training which supported their awareness and understanding of how to recognise and respond promptly to people's needs, which included communication training.

Although some people and relatives told us there have been occasions in which staff have arrived late for people’s calls, the feedback from most people and relatives was that calls are provided at agreed times and that people’s needs were responded to promptly by staff. For example, people who requested support with their physical health needs were appropriately supported so they were able to attend healthcare appointments.

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

Leaders told us the support they provided staff was based on the belief that colleagues should be respected and supported as individuals and not just as members of staff. Leaders provided examples of how understanding and flexibility had been shown to staff to ensure they were able to maintain a positive work-life balance.

Staff told us they felt supported by the provider, with 1 staff member telling us, “Yes, I feel supported.”

This meant we were assured the provider cared about and promoted a culture which considered the wellbeing of staff.