Private Home Care UK Limited (Leicester)

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 85 (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 family members spoke positively of how staff treated them with kindness and empathy and respected their cultural and religious beliefs. A person told us, “Staff are fantastic and excellent carers.” A family member said, “Staff are compassionate, respectful, helpful, attentive, punctual and caring.” Another family member told us, “Staff communicate well and joke with her.” People’s care records detailed information as to people’s life histories, including family and work life.

Staff had developed positive relationships with people and were able to demonstrate their compassion and commitment to providing good quality care and positive outcomes for people. They spoke of their knowledge and how they supported people to celebrate festivals which were important to them, such as Diwali, Eid and Christmas.

The registered manager told us they monitored staff interactions with people to ensure they were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity. This was facilitated through supervision, spot checks and working alongside care staff in the delivery of care. People’s views and that of family members were also sought. An analysis of the most recent clients’ questionnaires found 98% of people indicated they felt staff respected their privacy and dignity. The provider advised, staff were trained in empathy, active listening and person-centred care, and trained to see people as individuals with stories, preferences and goals.

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

Staff provided a holistic approach to care, supporting people with companionship, social interaction alongside personal care and support with consideration to people’s cultural and religious needs. People’s care records were individualised and tailored to meet their needs, including how people wished to be greeted by staff. For example, a person’s care records stated staff were to greet them by saying 'Jai Shree Krishna'. Whilst another person’s records stated, “I prefer to have breakfast after my morning walk, please support me to prepare cereal and tea when I return.’

People’s cultural and religious needs were considered when scheduling care calls, with consideration to communication, gender and staff’s understanding of cultural and religious beliefs. There were examples of highly individualised circumstances in which some people were not supported by staff at specific times. This was managed sensitively due to the personal nature of the request. Staffs cultural understanding meant staff had developed an internal system of arranging shifts within the existing team, to respect the person’s wishes whilst maintaining staffs’ privacy.

People were supported by a diverse staff team, which enabled them to meet people’s cultural and religious needs. A staff member spoke of the importance of supporting someone to pray. Whilst another staff member spoke of supporting a person’s hygiene needs before praying. A further example included where staff had considered people’s preferences and ensured they were in their preferred religious/cultural clothing. Many people who use the service were of Asian origin and some could not communicate well in English. The carers could often speak in Gujarati, Hindi as well as English. This enhanced communication and willingness to discuss past stories with them and how they were feeling accurately.

Staff spoke about social inclusion, going to the shops, the temple, church, local parks, coffee shops, the city centre and supporting people on family outings. A member of staff told us, “I support people to attend church or the temple.” A family member said, “We get a social inclusion visit once a week. Staff will take her out to a social inclusion group or do games and painting with her.” Another family member spoke of how staff in their view went above and beyond. They told us, “Staff go that extra mile, they ask her if she wants anything, such as bread or milk, they say to give them a call, and they’ll bring it to her. They have places where old age pensioners can sit and chat, and they take her to green areas in her wheelchair.”

A family member had written to the provider, expressing their gratitude in the support a member of staff provided in enabling their relative to attend a family wedding. They wrote ‘'I am writing to express my deepest gratitude for arranging care worker [Name] to support my mother during my daughter's wedding celebrations, from accompanying her to a Hindu temple, to the celebrations at my home and the wedding. Staff [Name] provided an extraordinary level of care, attending to every detail with compassion and dedication. From bathing and dressing my mother in the morning to ensure their comfort and dignity throughout each event, her support was nothing short of exceptional.’ This demonstrated people were supported to take part in important celebrations which mattered to them.

The registered manager evidenced staff were trained on equality, diversity and inclusion. Cultural competency modules ensured awareness of dietary needs, ritual, communication styles and family dynamics. Staff were encouraged to reflect on cultural influences in supervision and team discussions.

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 involved in decisions regarding their day-to-day life, for example, what they wanted to wear and eat, and decisions around their personal care routine. People felt supported by staff to be as independent as possible, and in some instances, equipment was used to maintain independence. A person told us, “The staff encourage me, but are on hand to help me out. I can do things such as eat and drink, but the food has to be heated up and transferred to the table for me.” A family member said, “For support she uses a frame to walk, and the carers hold her.”

People’s care plans detailed their day-to-day needs and preferences. Care records reflected how people were to be given choices and have these respected. Communication with staff was effective in sharing information as to any changes in people’s needs.

The registered manager advised us staff ensured they respected people’s homes, and knocked before entering rooms, respecting closed doors and recognising the need for private time between partners. Staff supported people who do not live with family members to maintain contact. Staff were well connected to the local community and the services it offers, which meant they were able to signpost people to other organisations and resources for support.

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 and family members told us the service was accommodating in changing care call visits when people’s needs changed or to facilitate personal appointments or commitments. A person told us, “I can phone to change a care visit time, no problems and they listen.” A family member told us, “The service is accommodating, if I want to change anything, like appointments times when I want to see a football match.” Family members shared with us how the provider supported them in response to their relatives’ changing needs. A family member said, “Recently after [person’s] fall I phoned the manager when I felt my relative required additional supervision. They advised me on what do and to phone Social Services. They spoke of what care funding [person] maybe eligible for.”

People and family members shared how staff were flexible in their response to people’s needs, for example, when they became distressed or anxious, or showed increased ritualistic behaviours. A family member spoke of the deterioration in their relative’s mental health, and how staff had adapted to responding to her confusion, agitation and non-compliance with sensitivity, patience, persuasion and at a pace that was acceptable to her. A family member told us, “Staff support means he is able to stay in his own home. They take him out shopping and interact with him. They have a good rapport within, which is good for his mental health.”

The provider always cared about and promoted the well-being of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The provider was committed to recognising and valuing the cultural and religious diversity of both people who used the service and staff. Personal beliefs, traditions and practices were supported, through the provision of person-centred care. Staff were matched with people with consideration to people’s diverse needs which meant cultural and religious practices, including dietary, prayer times and festivals were considered when scheduling the times of care visits. Language and gender preferences were also factored into care visit schedules.

Realistic staff rota schedules were developed to ensure sufficient travel time for staff between care visits, with staff breaks, to ensure staff compliance with Working Time Regulations. Rotas were developed with consideration to the cultural and religious needs of staff. Staff workforce diversity was monitored to ensure the team was reflective of people’s demographic and needs.

The provider had processes in place to monitor, improve and promote staff safety and well-being. Staff were supported through regular supervision and support, and had access to counselling, an Employee Assistance Programme and a Mental Health helpline. The provider told us there was an emphasis on staff well-being, which included well-being risk assessments for staff returning to work following, injury, illness or maternity leave. The provider had a care staff of the month award which recognised staff achievements. Information around human resource policies, including annual leave, staff safety and lone working were referenced within the Staff Handbook.

Staff were positive about the support they received from both the registered manager and staff based in the office. A member of staff told us, “I feel supported by the manager and office staff, there is always someone at the end of a phone if you need them.”