Respectful Care Nottingham South

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding. This meant services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.

This service scored 93 (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 delivered truly outstanding person-centred care, placing people at the heart of every aspect of service delivery. There was a strong, embedded culture of seeing the whole person, with care consistently tailored to reflect individual needs, preferences, values, life histories and aspirations.

Staff demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the people they supported. This enabled them to provide highly personalised care that went beyond meeting physical needs to promote emotional, social and psychological wellbeing. Care plans were detailed, holistic and person-led, which clearly reflected what mattered most to individuals and guided staff to deliver care in ways that were meaningful and respectful.

People were actively involved to plan and review their care and were empowered to make choices about their daily lives. Staff consistently listened to people, respected their views and adapted support in response to changing needs and preferences. This ensured care remained flexible, responsive and aligned with people’s wishes at all times.

There was a strong emphasis for staff to build trusting and compassionate relationships. People were supported by staff who knew them extremely well and responded sensitively and intuitively to their needs. This enabled staff to recognise subtle changes and act promptly, to ensure people felt safe, understood and valued. A relative comment was, “I am so grateful for the outstanding service that your agency provides.”

The provider demonstrated a commitment to going above and beyond to enhance people’s quality of life. Thoughtful, personalised approaches and creative problem-solving ensured people experienced care that was not only effective, but enriching and empowering. As a result, people consistently experienced positive outcomes and a high standard of care that promoted dignity, independence and overall wellbeing.

The provider demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and the wider community, ensuring care was consistently joined-up, flexible and promoted choice and continuity. There was a strong emphasis on collaboration, with seamless coordination between services to deliver positive outcomes for people.

Staff at all levels had an excellent understanding of the professionals involved in each person’s care. Care plans were comprehensive and clearly detailed the involvement of health professionals, the responsibilities of staff, and clear guidance on when and how to escalate concerns. This included specific instructions related to clinical needs such as catheter care, skin integrity and wound management, which ensured staff delivered safe, informed and consistent care.

The provider went above and beyond to ensure smooth and effective transitions between services, particularly following hospital discharge. A discharge care call was completed which was bespoke and a highly responsive approach, with senior staff who attended to reassess people’s needs, review discharge information and ensure care plans were immediately updated to reflect any changes. Practical and emotional support was also provided, to include assistance with settling back into the home environment, completing household tasks and arranging support with medicines before their normal care package re- started. The registered manager told us she did not want people to go home to an empty house with no support. The registered manager demonstrated a strong personal commitment to this process, and ensured there were no time restrictions placed on these visits to prioritise people’s wellbeing and safety. They explained, “Don’t add a time limit to this call because it’s so important our clients are supported back home with care. I have experienced myself what it feels like when you come back home and you can be a little disorientated and things are not quite right, so its important we support our clients and we also know the calls following on will run more effective and smooth because the care plans have been updated with any changes, medicines have been booked and people have settled back safely.”

This proactive, compassionate and highly coordinated approach ensured people experienced continuity of care, reduced risk of readmission and felt safe, supported and reassured during periods of transition. It reflected an outstanding standard of partnership working and a deep commitment to delivering care that was responsive, holistic and centred around people’s individual needs.

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

The service went above and beyond to meet the Accessible Information Standards. Information was available in a range of formats, including easy-read documents where required, which enabled people to fully understand their care and make informed decisions. This proactive and inclusive approach supported equality and ensured no one was disadvantaged in accessing information.

The provider recognised that effective communication was essential across the whole service, including for staff. The registered manager told us, “The organisation recognises that accessible communication is essential not only for the people being supported, but also for the workforce delivering care. By ensuring staff fully understand expectations and feel supported in communication, Respectful Care Nottingham South promotes a safer, more inclusive, and more effective working environment for both staff and the people they support.” This demonstrated a strong, values-led approach to communication which directly improved safety and quality of care.

People were kept well informed about their care and support arrangements. For example, those who wished to know which staff would be supporting them and at what time were provided with rotas. Where changes occurred, such as delays to care calls, people were contacted promptly to keep them updated. This responsive approach respected people’s time, reduced anxieties and demonstrated a high level of consideration and respect.

The provider used innovative and engaging methods to share information and celebrate achievements. A system called ‘Feedback Friday’ was used to share positive feedback and recognise staff contributions on social media, and highlighted examples of staff making a meaningful difference to people’s lives. This not only promoted transparency but also reinforced a positive culture and continuous improvement.

In addition, quarterly newsletters were shared with people, which kept them informed about service developments, staff recognition, people’s achievements, birthdays, important dates and community activities. These newsletters included photos and updates about events organised by the provider, and supported people to feel connected, valued and part of a wider community.

This meant communication was highly personalised, inclusive and consistently effective, ensuring people, relatives and staff were well-informed, engaged and empowered. This resulted in improved experiences, stronger relationships and enhanced outcomes for people who received care.

The provider was exceptional at enabling people to share feedback, raise concerns and contribute ideas about their care, treatment and support. People were consistently at the heart of the service, and there was a strong, open culture where feedback was actively encouraged, valued and acted upon. Staff routinely involved people in decisions about their care and ensured they were kept informed about any changes made as a result of their feedback.

The leadership team, including managers and directors, were highly visible and accessible. People and their relatives were actively encouraged to share feedback, raise concerns or make complaints. People felt confident that these would be taken seriously and lead to meaningful improvements. A wide range of systems were in place to support this, including both formal and informal methods of communication.

Formal systems included regular quality assurance questionnaires distributed to people and those important to them. Feedback from these was carefully reviewed, and clear actions were taken to improve the service. Informal approaches, such as phone calls and welcoming people into the office to share their views, further strengthened engagement and ensured feedback could be shared in a way that suited individual preferences.

The service demonstrated a highly proactive approach to identifying concerns early. The registered manager told us staff had been trained to recognise subtle signs when people may be unhappy with their care and to act immediately to address these. This early intervention approach meant issues were resolved quickly and prevented them from escalating into more significant concerns. This evidenced in their low number of complaints and high scores of excellent in their quality assurance results.

People told us the management team were responsive and took prompt action when needed. This reflected the strong culture of listening, responsiveness and continuous improvement across the service. This demonstrated an outstanding approach to managing feedback and complaints. Systems were highly effective, inclusive and embedded in practice, which ensured people felt heard, respected and confident that their views would drive positive change.

The provider demonstrated an exceptional commitment to ensuring all people had equitable access to services. There was a strong understanding across the staff team of the importance of inclusive, rights-based care, and staff consistently applied relevant legislation to ensure care was needs led, person-centred, and free from discrimination.

Staff went above and beyond to recognise when people required additional support to access care, treatment, or external services. They worked proactively with a range of professionals and agencies to remove barriers and ensure people received the support they needed in a timely way. One professional told us, “I have been involved over the years with Respectful Care and have recently seen client of theirs. The carers were professional and very helpful. We were involved with manual handling issues with a client which was resolved with their assistance too.”

This approach led to improved outcomes and enabled people to remain as independent as possible within their own homes.

The provider showed a highly responsive approach to develop staff skills to meet people’s complex needs. Training was actively sourced and tailored to ensure staff were confident and competent to deliver specialised care. For example, staff received training in managing health care needs.

There was also a strong focus to support unpaid carers. The provider recognised their vital role and ensured they were equipped with the skills and knowledge required to provide safe and effective care when staff were not present. This included offering practical training such resuscitation and falls prevention and also supported them with mental health support by completing assessments to identify risks to the unpaid carers. This was identified through regular carer support reviews. This proactive and inclusive approach enhanced continuity of care and promoted better outcomes for both people and their families.

This meant the provider’s approach was innovative, proactive, and embedded into practice. Barriers to access were consistently anticipated and addressed, which ensured people experienced highly responsive, inclusive care that exceeded expected standards.

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.

People’s individual characteristics, including cultural, religious, communication, and accessibility needs, were assessed and clearly documented within care plans. This enabled staff to provide personalised care that respected people’s preferences and promoted inclusion.

People were supported to access care and support on an equal basis. The provider made reasonable adjustments where required, such as using peoples preferred communication methods, provided translation services, and adapted care delivery to meet sensory or cognitive needs. This helped to ensure people were not disadvantaged to access or receive care.

The provider ensured information was shared in accessible ways such as easy format to enhance their understanding, to make informed decisions. Where appropriate, families, and representatives were involved to ensure people’s voices were heard, particularly for those who may have difficulty expressing their views independently.

People were supported to consider and plan for significant life changes in a timely way, enabling them to make informed decisions about their future, including matters relating to end-of-life care.

At the time of the assessment, the provider did not support anyone who required end-of-life care. However, systems were in place to ensure people’s wishes could be captured if needed. The provider explained they would complete a document titled ‘A Respectful Request’, which records individuals’ preferences, care needs, and wishes in relation to end-of-life care.

Discussions about people’s future wishes took place, and checks were carried out to establish whether individuals had relevant documentation in place, such as RESPECT forms or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) decisions. A RESPECT form (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) is a nationally recognised document that records a person’s wishes and clinical recommendations for emergency care and treatment, and included decisions about CPR, to ensure these are known and respected by healthcare professionals.