Andersen Care Agency

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.

People and their relatives spoke highly of the staff and the care they provided. A person told us, “All of the carers are so kind and very respectful to me, we have an excellent relationship and because all of them come all of the time, we have got to know each other well.” Comments from relatives included, “We can’t fault them at all, every one of them is so kind, caring and so respectful” and “The carers do everything that is needed and they take their time, making sure they never rush.” Feedback from people and relatives also confirmed staff respected their privacy at all times.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care and support met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Information within people’s care plans was personalised to reflect their individual needs, preferences, and any specific requirements. Staff understood people’s needs and provided support in a way that empowered them and upheld their rights. A person who experienced regular changes in their presentation described, “I am not always the same every day and it sometimes can take a bit longer to do what I need, and this is never an issue at all. The carers would rather take their time and not rush me.” This meant staff understood and respected the person’s individual experiences and tailored their approach to make sure the care and support provided had a positive impact on them.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff involved people in day-to-day decisions and encouraged them to stay active. Feedback from relatives confirmed this, and included, “[Person] is unable to do anything for himself but the carers still involve him all the time with what they are doing” and “The carers encourage [person] to do what she can and they involve her by chatting to her all the time while doing things for her.”

People’s care plans emphasised choice and control. Staff had access to information about any activities people engaged in, their social needs and relationships. A staff member told us, “We have seen their abilities in their care plan, what they can do for themselves. We encourage them to do what they can do.”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff respondedto people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Care workers monitored people’s needs closely and reported any changes or concerns to management, who ensured necessary actions were taken promptly. They sought support from external agencies when specialist input was needed, helping to meet people’s needs more effectively.

People and their relatives spoke about how staff responded to their changing needs. A relative commented, “The carers are very good at noticing any changes and are very quick to let me know.” Care plans provided clear instructions to staff on how to support people when they experienced distress. Guidance included the types of behaviours people could display and when to report concerns.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported them to always deliver person-centred care. There was effective communication between management and staff. Staff consistently spoke positively about the support they received in carrying out their duties. Their comments included, “They [management] always get in touch”, “Management is supportive” and “Colleagues are fine; haven’t had any issues."