Choices Care Ltd

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 relatives found staff kind, caring and supportive. One person said, “If the carers finish early then they sit and chat and it might be the only chat I have that day; it is such a treat.” One relative told us, “When the carers first arrived, they took time to get to know my [family member’s] likes and dislikes and that has made a big difference to how they cope with care.”

Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about people’s backgrounds, preferences, and what was important to them. A staff member described using discussions about a person’s former jobs to help de‑escalate situations when the person became anxious. They told us this approach was meaningful because “It’s their memories and life experiences, they like talking about it and it distracts them when anxious.”

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 and their relatives told us staff were matched to people to support their individual cultural needs. For example, staff who shared people’s first language to support effective communication. Staff we spoke with confirmed this.

Staff treated people as individuals and demonstrated a good understanding of their needs and preferences. One staff member told us, “I respect my clients have different values and beliefs. One of my clients doesn’t like washing their hair on certain days for religious reasons. I respect that and follow their wishes” and also shared “Another client has always fasted on a set day due to their religion. Sometimes they may forget but I know it’s important to them, so I just remind them it’s their fasting day which they appreciate.”

People’s equality and diversity needs were incorporated in their care plans. This also contained information about their personal histories, interests and preferences to support staff in meeting people's individual needs.

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

People and their relatives told us staff supported people to be independent, and support was given only when required. Staff shared examples of how they encouraged people to complete tasks they could do for themselves. One staff member told us, “Some clients just need supervision or for me to be close by, so they feel confident and comfortable, so I just help when they ask me.”

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 their relatives told us the service was flexible. Some relatives told us the service was responsive and worked around private and medical appointments. One relative told us, “If we have appointments, we inform them and they come earlier so they can deliver care.” They also described how staff adapted support following a hospital stay including adjusting the time their family member spent in their wheelchair and ensuring they were appropriately repositioned. Staff told us where people had appointments they were able to cancel or reschedule their calls.

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

The provider supported staff by making reasonable adjustments and offering flexible working arrangements that recognised caring responsibilities, pregnancy and religious festivities. Staff we spoke to confirmed this. One staff member told us their working hours and work pattern had been adjusted to support a better work life balance. Regular staff team meetings took place. Staff found these meetings useful and they felt valued at work.