First4Homecare 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. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. Care plans were up to date and information about people was person centred and respectful. People and relatives told us the team were very caring and kind. One relative said, “If any lateness they call and let us know, they are kind and caring, no concerns at all.” A person said, “Staff are caring, kind and respectful.I do feel safe with them they know what they are doing.”

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.Care plans were very individualised and personalised for each person. People’s preferences were recorded and considered when providing care and support. For example, people were asked if they preferred a male or female care worker to support them.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and well being.Care records showed people were encouraged to be as independent as possible. Equipment was available if needed to assist people to remain independent. The provider shared several examples of how staff promoted independence and choices for people. For example, when a person’s mobility declined, additional equipment was provided following a review of the person’s needs. People told us staff prompted them to do as much for themselves as they could. This meant people remained as independent as possible for as long as possible.

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. The provider had a clear process for any emergencies. Staff told us how they would manage an emergency, for example, if a person had a fall they would seek medical assistance. One staff member said, “Yes I can deal with an emergency if they have a fall, call an ambulance and the office, don’t move them, stay with them.”Care records showed people’s needs were documented and detailed, for example, if a person was in pain or discomfort there was guidance for staff to follow.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff were given flexible working arrangements. Staff with disabilities were supported with reasonable adjustments. For example, some staff had more time to complete visits or less driving. Staff told us overall they liked working for the service, one staff member said, “Yes,I feel supported, for example a couple of weeks ago, a person was on antibiotics, but I could not find them, so I called the office, always someone there to advise, it was fine.” However, some staff told us they wanted to have more consistent rotas, as changes could sometimes happen at short notice.