West Lancashire Short Break Services

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.

Staff always treated people with kindness, compassion and dignity; and had a caring attitude towards people and their relatives. Staff were observed to be kind, patient and friendly in their approach to people. In a recent survey relatives had agreed people were treated with dignity and respect.

When asked what people and their relatives thought of staff, comments included, “The staff treat me well, they are kind,” “[Person’s] support worker is absolutely amazing,” and “[Staff] really are the best. There’s an awful lot of joviality going on. It’s fun.”

A partner confirmed they were treated well by staff at the service.

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 abilities, aspirations, culture, unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

Staff treated people like individuals, understanding their individual needs and preferences and reflecting these in their care and support. A relative said, “They know [person] and understand them very well.” Another added, “Over the years they’ve got to understand [person] really well. They’re very aware of what they like and don’t like.”

Staff and the manager had a good knowledge of people’s backgrounds and home life, and additional support was provided during difficult circumstances. For example, when relatives had to attend funerals, appointments or were suffering from their own ill health.

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

Staff ensured people were engaged in meaningful hobbies and interests. People were contacted and asked what they would like to do prior to stays, and had access to a variety of on-site and community-based activities. A relative told us, “[Person] loves going out with staff in the minibus. They love being in the community. [Person] has enough to do there.” Another added, “They take person for walks, they make cards, they bake, they do gardening.” A sensory room with mood lights and specialist equipment was available for those with sensory needs.

Staff spoke about the ways they promoted choice and control, and we observed them asking people what they would like to do or how they would like to spend their time. A relative told us, “They encourage [person] to make decisions and choices.”

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

Staff recognised different ways in which people may communicate discomfort, pain or distress; including non-verbal cues. Most staff had worked at the service for several years, so had a good understanding of people and knew them well. People’s support plans included information about what different behaviours, body language or facial expressions may mean and how best to respond.

Staff anticipated people’s needs and responded quickly when people needed urgent help. A relative told us, “Staff can tell before [person] has a seizure. They phone me and get an ambulance. They’re very quick to respond.”

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

The service recognised and met the well-being needs of staff. Systems were in place to recognise and reward staff and there were several initiatives to support staff mental health and wellbeing. For example, mental health first aid training was available to managers and staff had access to counselling services.

Morale was good, and staff told us they felt valued and had access to support if they needed it. A staff member said, “Yes, I feel valued, I get a lot of support and supervisions. The manager has been really great when I’ve needed support, and signposted me to employee support services. They're always there when I need a chat.” Another added, “I personally struggled not too long ago and managers were brilliant. Staff support each other as well.”