In Home Care Chichester

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment, the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People were at the centre of their care and treatment. Staff worked in partnership with them to respond to changes in their needs. People and relatives told us they were fully involved in the planning of their care, and any changes were discussed with them. People said they received help with many aspects of their day to day lives and the personalised care they received had a positive impact on their well-being.

Care plans were holistic, personalised, and reflected people’s individual preferences and needs. They included personal histories, such as previous careers, hobbies, interests, and significant life events. This enabled staff to engage meaningfully with people about what mattered most to them.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and the local community, ensuring care was coordinated, flexible and promoted choice and continuity. The service maintained effective links with health and community partners, and people’s needs were regularly reviewed with their involvement. Staff worked collaboratively with other professionals to support people’s health and wellbeing, and staffing was planned to help ensure people’s support needs were met.

The provider did not always ensure people received appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats tailored to their individual needs. This included care information and key documents, such as the complaint’s procedure. People told us they received rotas detailing which staff would attend and at what time, and that changes to care calls were usually communicated. Some people had recently experienced more changes to call visit times than usual, which they felt was due to adverse weather conditions and staffing pressures.

The provider had recently introduced electronic care planning, enabling people and authorised relatives to access care records via an app. Relatives said this worked well and allowed them to view care updates in real time, providing reassurance about their loved one’s well-being.

The provider ensured people could easily share feedback, raise concerns, or make complaints about their care, treatment, and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and provided updates where changes had been made because of feedback.

The provider also sought feedback through surveys with people, relatives, and staff. The findings were used to develop action plans and drive improvements. Regular wellbeing calls from the office provided further opportunities for people to share their experiences and suggest improvements. People and their relatives told us they knew how to make a complaint and felt comfortable doing so. People told us they received a regular newsletter which kept them up to date with changes and company news.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support, and treatment they needed when they needed it. Staff supported people by contacting health professionals as and when necessary. They followed professionals’ advice to help make sure people were supported safely. This included advice about people’s mental health and well-being.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support, and treatment accordingly. Care records demonstrated decisions were made in conjunction with people and relevant others to ensure staff always acted in people’s best interests. This included family members, advocates, or other health professionals. Relatives shared examples of staff observations, including changes in people’s behaviour and mental state, which had led to their loved one’s receiving prompt medical interventions. Some staff had vehicles with business use insurance that meant they were able to help people to access community appointments when it would otherwise be difficult.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. Staff followed guidance from partner agencies such as palliative care teams, when supporting people through their care journeys. Where people had made advanced plans for end-of-life care these were respected.