Caremark Kensington

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 70 (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 representatives told us staff were kind and caring. Staff consistently described working in a respectful and friendly way with people. A person told us how their medical conditions caused them a great deal of discomfort and pain. They said, “If I sometimes breakdown or I am crying, they will comfort me.” A person’s representative told us their relative had received care from a number of care companies and that, in their opinion, “Caremark is one of the best. The carers go above and beyond and are very caring.”

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’s care plans demonstrated a person-centred approach that respected people’s individual preferences. Staff and people using the service confirmed that the care plans were followed.

A person using the service described the care staff as, “First class” and “Smashing!” because staff treated them as a real person and respected them as an individual. They also expressed appreciation for being able to become friends with people from other cultures and said they had learnt a lot about different faiths, which they hadn’t known about before.

A member of staff told us, “You can’t just go in and do the jobs and go. You personalise what you do and build up a relationship. You should know when they are happy or sad. Be a good person, like a friend.”

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 representatives told us the care packages had been tailored to their individual wants and needs. People said they felt in control and their choices were respected. A person using the service told us that, when they chose, care staff would support them to attend appointments in the community. This person added, “They make sure I am alright and help me as much as I need with things, like getting dressed and undressed. They always ask if there is anything else they can assist with.”

The service supported people to understand their rights by using different languages and individual communication techniques whenever needed. Staff ensured people were able to access and maintain important relationships and networks, such as friends and family, as well as the wider community. The service also supported people to obtain and use various equipment that could also help enhance their independence. A member of staff told us how they supported a person living with dementia to go shopping. They told us, “[Name] likes this and it gives [them] some independence.”

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 representatives told us that most staff knew them well and responded quickly when they needed anything. A person using the service said, “They cheer me up when I have a ‘down’ day.” This person also told us how care staff had helped them to identify and resolve the source of a bad smell in their kitchen.

A member of staff told us, “The allocated time on the rota is usually sufficient to complete tasks but, if more time is needed, I call the office and they will increase the time.”

The provider did not always care about and promote the wellbeing of their staff, or support and enable them to always deliver person-centred care.

We identified that some staff worked excessive hours without sufficient rest breaks. This posed a risk to their wellbeing and ability to undertake their roles safely and effectively. However, staff told us they were happy in their work and felt valued. A member of staff said they felt supported and had easy access to the office staff when they needed. They said the office staff frequently communicated with them about different clients. They also confirmed there were regular meetings and unannounced spot checks. Another member of staff told us they had regular 1-1 support and supervision and additional meetings could be scheduled if needed. In addition, they said they received catch-up calls from the agency every 2 weeks.