- Homecare service
Helping Hands Sheffield
Assessment report published 13 April 2026
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 27 February to 11 March 2026. Helping Hands Sheffield is a care at home service providing personal care and support to adults of all ages some of whom were living with dementia. Not everyone using the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of this assessment there were 43 people receiving care and support. The last inspection took place in September 2019; we inspected the service due to the age of the rating. The service has remained good.
Lessons were always learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. Accidents and incidents were recorded and analysed to identify trends and patterns and used to mitigate future risks. We saw appropriate referrals had been made to healthcare professionals and staff worked in line with requirements and recommendations they suggested. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse and staff understood their responsibility to report any concerns.
Risks associated with people's care were identified and managed to keep people safe. Care plans gave step by step instructions for carrying out tasks to ensure staff were following people's wishes, managing risk and delivering safe care. Staff and leaders ensured the care environment was safe and took action to address any potential hazards. Staff were recruited safely and received a thorough induction when they commenced their employment. Staff had access to ongoing training and were supported to progress within the company. People received their medicines as prescribed by staff who were competent and trained to do so.
People's needs were assessed and care delivered in line with people's preferences. People were involved in reviews about their care. People had access to healthcare professionals and care plans reflected their guidance. People were involved in setting goals and achieving outcomes that really mattered to them. Staff and leaders demonstrated a remarkable understanding of what mattered most to people. People were in control of their care and involved in making decisions based on their needs and choices.
The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. People and relatives told us staff were skilled and motivated to carry out their role. People valued carers and people were appreciative of emotional support.
People were supported by staff who knew them well and understood their needs and preferences. People and relatives had access to information about the service. The provider had a complaints procedure and people were supported to raised concerns. The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People and relatives raised concerns regarding communication and said it was difficult to speak with someone and when messages were left, they were not always passed on. They also commented that this had improved with the commencement of the new manager.
The provider had inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. There were clear governance systems which supported leaders to identify issues and act on them in a timely way. The provider understood their duty to collaborate and work with partners to ensure people received a seamless service.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives told us staff were often late to visits, particularly in the afternoon. This was attributed to heavy traffic in parts of Sheffield.The management team were aware of this problem and were working to improve call times. One person said, “Carers are not always on time, but they phone me to let us know. One [carer] was half an hour late. There was a missed visit due to staff being off. They couldn’t find anyone else.” People and relatives told us regular and experienced staff knew people well and understood their needs. However, there was a lot of staff turnover which led to staff not always knowing people well. People told us that usually new staff shadowed experience staff to help introduce them. People and relatives told us staff provided safe care. One relative said, “Yes, it’s [care] always safe. Carers give [family member] their medication and keep the house tidy.” People told us staff respected them. One person said, “Staff treat me well. We have lots of laughs. I have no problem with any of them [staff].” People and relatives told us staff were competent in administering medicines in a safe way. One relative said, “I have no concerns about medicines. The carers have a key for the locked medicine box. They give [family member] their medicines in a morning and at night.” People felt staff provided choice. One person said, “They’ve (staff) been coming so long that they come and get on with it. They ask what I want for lunch. I ask them what’s in the fridge and choose. I go out once a week with a carer to do the shopping.” People and relatives told us staff promoted their independence. One relative said, “[Family member] is very independent and always has been. So, carers work alongside [family member] if they want to dust they (carers) move objects for [family member]. They are led by what [family member] wants to do. The carers keep the place very tidy.” Staff were respectful of people’s properties and always knocked on doors before entering and closed bathroom doors before giving personal care. One relative said, “[Staff member] is always respectful and happy. I’ve had great feedback from [family member] about [staff member].” One person said, “They (staff) are always very polite and helpful. I’ve known them so long. It’s like family as a relationship. I think very highly of them.” Communications with the office were a concern for the majority of people and relatives, with messages not being passed on. No one, at times, answering the phone in the office, with people needing to contact head office instead of the Sheffield branch. We passed these comments on to the management team who told us they would take action to improve communication.