Helping Hands Sheffield

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 told us they were happy with the care and support they received from the provider. People told us the staff were caring, friendly and efficient. People told us they had positive relationships with their carers. One person said, “I get on fine with the carers and have a positive and understanding relationship with them. They know my needs and talk to me. We chat and communicate nicely. I’m comfortable with them.” One relative said, “I just think [carer] has a lot of empathy. [Carer] was upset when [family member] was unwell. [Carer] uses their initiative to treat [family member] like their own [relative], like an individual, I trust [carer].”

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. Staff knew people well and understood their preferences and encouraged people to talk about their needs, priorities, and interests. Staff and leaders were keen to develop positive relationships with people and family members and to gather their views and input through reviews and quality assurance surveys.Staff knew how to communicate effectively with people.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People's interests and hobbies were captured in care plans. One person had strong interest in the arts and liked visual art and drama and enjoyed music. Another person expressed a wish to preserve their independence for as long as possible while continuing to live in their own home. Staff and leaders promoted this by ensuring support was consistent and reliable, ensuring the person to receive support from a regular team of carers so that strong, trusting relationships were formed, which enabled staff to understand the person better and to understand their specific needs thoroughly. One staff member said, “We promote independence and dignity at all times.”

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. Care plans included clear instructions for managing health conditions and personal care. Staff monitored changes and communicated with families when needed. People and relatives confirmed that staff were responsive and attentive. The provider had good links with external professionals and requested their support as required.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care. The provider cared about staff and valued their contributions. Staff told us they felt empowered in their roles. Training and development opportunities were exceptional. Staff attended mandatory and bespoke training which was aligned to people's needs. Staff with the desire to progress within the organisation were supported and motivated to do so. Staff were complimentary about the way the management team supported them by offering flexible working patterns which fitted into their life. This approach resulted in motivated, skilled and compassionate staff who focused on delivering high quality needs led care and support. The management team had a strong awareness that staff well-being improved the quality of care provided. One staff member said, "The managers have been flexible with my visits which helped me manage my home life. This made me feel better about my job and I look forward to going to work." The provider had an initiative called ‘moments of kindness’, which was a recognition reward scheme designed to thank staff who had gone above and beyond in supporting people and their colleagues.