Opieka Limited Office

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 80 (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 relatives were consistently positive about staff and their kind, caring approach. One person said, “Staff are always happy and chatty, we talk the entire time they are here. They are always very kind, nice and good to me.” A relative said, “Staff go beyond what they should be doing, they sit and talk to [Person’s name], they're just more caring than other services we’ve had. They are not just doing the tasks, it’s more personal than that.”

Staff were matched to people where there were shared interests and values to promote positive relationships. A person said, “We have a good giggle, we get on well. Staff have been coming to me for a long time, so we have a giggle and a good conversation. It's rather nice, they become your friends really.” People and their relatives told us of many staff members by name who they had formed close relationships with. A relative said, “The staff who are coming have got to be able to talk to [Person’s name], chat to them and treat them as a friend, which is what they do.”

Staff were incredibly thoughtful when supporting people. One person was upset as their local shop had stopped selling their favourite newspaper. A staff member called round local shops and found one which still sold it and surprised the person with a copy. They then helped the person to set up weekly deliveries so they could continue to read their favourite newspaper which brough them joy.

The provider highly valued people’s privacy and dignity. The management team told us only female staff provided personal care to women using the service which was confirmed by people and their relatives.

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. Where people and staff had language or cultural similarities, the management team matched staff to people where these aligned to support communication, understanding and to overall improve people’s experiences.

People were always treated as individuals with care and communication tailored to each person’s preferences. Staff followed people’s preferred routines which were documented in their care plans.

People’s religious and cultural needs were met. The provider was aware of people’s religious and cultural requirements and provided appropriate support on an individual basis. For example, the provider wrote to a religious body for advice, as other professionals were not supportive of a person’s choices. The advice allowed the person to choose which parts of their religion they wanted to follow and promoted their right to have choice and control over their own life.

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

Staff promoted people’s independence and sought consent before providing support. A staff member said, “I always ask people if it’s ok to do tasks for them but give prompts to those that need a little help, so they don’t lose their skills.”

Staff upheld the values of people having choice and control over their lives. People were offered choices throughout support with their daily routines, meals, drinks and any other tasks which needed completing. A person said, “Staff say ‘What do you want doing this morning?”

The management team and staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and where needed, care packages were increased with the required authorisation.

The provider was always available for advice, guidance and hands on support if required. Whilst supporting a person at the end of their life, their air flow mattress had stopped working which placed them at risk of being uncomfortable and developing pressure areas. The provider arranged for replacement equipment and made a temporary surface for the person to be transferred onto whilst the mattress was replaced. This considerate approach ensured the person was transferred safely and their comfort was maintained.

The management team sincerely cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff to support them to deliver high-quality person-centred care. Staff were supported to develop, gain qualifications and to progress in their career when positions arose.

Staff consistently told us they were happy with the support they received from their colleagues and the management team. Staff said, “I am very happy working for Opieka Limited Office. I feel valued in my role with so many years’ experience in care. I feel my experience is valued, respected and I enjoy passing this information onto new staff members. The management team are supportive, approachable and understanding. The team respect this and we work well as a team to be a well thought of [care provider].”