1 Homecare

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.

Everyone said that staff were kind and caring. Staff treated people with dignity and respect, 1 person said, “Staff take their time and I don’t feel rushed.” A relative said, “Staff really care for my [relative], they look after her very well. We feel comfortable and safe; they truly do care for her.” A further comment included, “We hear staff talking to my [relative], they tell her stories and make her laugh while they do their care. Staff are always engaged with her.” Another relative provided similar feedback and said staff were very compassionate during a difficult time. Staff gave examples about how they protected dignity and respect, for example, knocking before entering a bedroom, using preferred names and upholding confidentiality.

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.

Staff understood people well; a person said, “My carer really listens to me, she takes me to where I like to go and it doesn’t feel like I’m having care, it is almost like having a friend.” Another comment included, “Staff go 1 step further to understand what is important to me.” A relative said leaders and staff took the time to listen to them as a family, what they wanted and needed. Staff supported people to participate in things that were important to them, for example supporting people to maintain their hairstyles according to their identify, and to maintain hobbies and interests.

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 make their own decisions, for example about how to spend their 1 to 1 time in the community, what to eat and drink and what to wear. People said staff listened to them and encouraged them to maintain independence where this was possible, for example going shopping and doing small tasks within the home.

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 felt that staff really listened to them, and relatives said staff knew their loved ones very well. Where people did not communicate verbally, staff had good awareness about their nonverbal communication, and ways they expressed pain and discomfort. For example, through facial expressions and noises. This meant staff could identify quickly when there was a change and take appropriate action in a timely manner to respond to people effectively. Staff worked closely with family members to help them understand people’s complex health needs which meant relatives had confidence that staff would respond appropriately. A member of staff said, “I have strong bonds with my service users, I have been looking after them for some time so they will express changes by talking or when they become quiet.”

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

The provider had several ways to support staff and their wellbeing. The provider purchased mobile telephones for all staff members which also supported lone working as managers could check staff safely left work at the right time. The manager completed lone worker risk assessments, and for staff working in high-risk areas, staff were given personal alarms and torches. The provider aimed to move away from the use of zero hours contracts and provided permanent contracts where possible. The management team supported staff with financial difficulties at times and provided advice and signposting to other support services. Leaders showed their appreciation for staff through initiatives such as ‘employee of the month’ and made sure positive feedback was shared when received from people they supported.

The company supported staff to maintain a positive work life balance and time for important family events and maintained flexibility within rotas. The provider looked at supporting staff health through for example smoking cessation events and by paying for gym memberships. At times the provider has requested increased funding from the council to provide 2 members of staff to a call instead of 1. A member of staff said, “We have good team working, our manager promotes positive team wellbeing.”