COOCI Associates LLP

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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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.

Relatives spoke positively about the kindness, compassion and commitment demonstrated by staff and described caring relationships which promoted people’s wellbeing. One relative commented, “Staff are very good, caring, motivated and reliable. Each team member brings a different aspect of their personality to the home environment each shift which has a positive effect on [person].” Another relative commented, “The provider acts as the [person]’s case manager. However, if I were to characterise them in a description, I would have to say they are all special people with an innate sense of caring and consideration, and a strong sense of responsibility and duty to ensure everything that is done for [person] is in their best interests.”

A professional involved with the service told us staff consistently demonstrated an extremely caring approach when supporting people and their families.

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 received individualised care which was tailored to their strengths, abilities, preferences and backgrounds. Care plans contained detailed information from assessments, including communication needs, personal history, cultural considerations, interests and life experiences, which informed the delivery of personalised support. Daily records indicated care was delivered in a way which reflected individual preferences and circumstances to ensure care remained person centred. This meant people were treated as individuals and supported with care which was responsive to their personal identity.

Relatives told us staff treated people as individuals and demonstrated respect for their personal space, choices and home environment. One relative told us, “When staff visit [person], they are always respectful. Staff ask if it is alright to come in and say hello, ask if they can sit with them, explain why they have come to visit, and always thank them for their time. Another relative told us, "I feel we treat staff very well and in return, I believe staff do appreciate that and they are respectful when they are in [person’s] home."

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 be involved in decisions about their care and daily lives. Care plans included communication guidance to support staff in understanding how individuals expressed preferences and choices. Daily records showed staff encouraged people to make choices in their day to day lives and responded to their communication cues to support involvement in decision making. This ensured people were supported to exercise choice and control over their care and support as far as possible.

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 knew people well and were able to recognise changes in their presentation which may indicate a deterioration in their health and wellbeing. Care plans outlined signs which may indicate a person’s condition was deteriorating or changing. Clear guidance was in place for staff on how to respond to changes in people, including when to escalate concerns and seek medical advice. The daily records viewed showed staff escalated concerns and sought medical advice, ensuring people’s immediate needs were responded to. This was consistent with feedback from a relative, who told us, “Staff are very responsive to changes in [person]’s health and wellbeing and invariably take the required action in seeking support or medical intervention if required.”

Relatives told us people benefited from a consistent team of support workers, which promoted continuity of care and ensured there were no gaps in the support provided. Relatives commented, “Under [case manager’s name] overview and management, [person] has moved to a directly employed team of support workers thus ensuring continuity of care. This has resulted in a more committed group of support workers, who now seem to work much more as a team ensuring a much higher degree of continuity of care, as there is a more focused, integrated outlook, so the team is more inclined to pull together, and so enhancing the commitment to [person]’s care,” and “Everything is running smoothly. There is never a gap in care.”

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 systems in place to support staff well-being and promote a positive working environment. This included recognition initiatives such as ‘employee of the quarter scheme’, where staff were nominated for their contributions and received vouchers as an acknowledgement.

The provider had a named wellbeing lead, who had received relevant training. They were available to staff to provide support, respond to concerns and follow up on wellbeing and welfare issues as required.

The provider supported flexible working arrangements, taking into account staff requests to adjust working hours alongside individual needs, childcare and cultural requirements. Staff had access to a range of forums to discuss their wellbeing, including supervisions, spot checks, peer support and an open-door approach to management, enabling them to raise concerns informally at any time. This demonstrated a supportive culture which promoted staff wellbeing and engagement.

Staff spoke positively about the support they received from managers and described an open and supportive working environment. Staff commented, “I feel very supported by my direct line manager, who took time to listen to my situation and helped make the workload easier for me,” and “I have outstanding support. Every query or worry I have is dealt with, with the utmost importance, no matter how small it is.”