Whispers Care Solutions Limited

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.

People told us staff supported them to maintain their preferred standards of hygiene, appearance and dress, which promoted dignity and choice. They said staff treated them with kindness and their homes with respect. Relatives told us their family members had built positive relationships with staff.

Staff were patient and empathetic. They took time to understand people as individuals and build trust, particularly where people had previously been reluctant to accept care. This approach helped people engage with support and led to positive outcomes. Staff were motivated in their roles and described taking pride in promoting people’s independence, dignity and wellbeing. One staff member told us, “The main principles I take into my work are empathy, respect and patience. I try to understand each person as an individual and gives them what they need.”

Staff supported people during periods of emotional distress, anxiety and escalating behaviour. Senior leaders described how they had helped people through complex and challenging life circumstances to achieve positive change. Staff told us how they successfully supported people with a history of failed care placements to re‑engage with care. One staff member told us, “It is really important to understand people’s past experiences and how this affects how they engage with support. It takes time to build trust and understanding.”

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.

People and relatives told us staff treated them as individuals and valued their support and companionship offered. They said staff worked in partnership with them to help them live full and meaningful lives. Relatives described staff as calm, patient and respectful. For people with complex behavioural needs, relatives told us staff used consistent, person‑centred approaches that complemented family led strategies.

People’s communication needs were clearly documented in their care plans, including any required adjustments. This included when people used Makaton or Picture exchange communication system (PECS) to express their wishes. Staff confirmed they had received appropriate training. One staff member told us, “We mostly use PECS to communicate. (Person) points to what they want or what they feel. For example, we show them the sad or happy PEC and they choose one. This way they can communicate about how they are feeling.”

Staff told us they valued people’s individuality and adapted their approach to what worked best for each person. They showed concern for people’s wellbeing and took prompt action when additional support was needed. Senior staff and leaders understood each person’s circumstances, motivations and challenges. They took a hands‑on role in supporting people both with their care and wider life needs. Case studies demonstrated the positive impact this approach had on people’s lives.

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

People and relatives told us they experienced positive outcomes in relation to maintaining their independence, meaning they could safely remain in their own homes. Examples included, people being supported to regain strength and mobility after hospital discharge and encouragement to be active in their everyday lives.

Senior staff shared several examples of supporting younger people through transition into adult services. They demonstrated how they coordinated planning with families, education providers and professionals to ensure smooth, well‑managed transitions. Staff told us promoting independence was central to their role. They explained rather than completing tasks for people, they focused on helping individuals develop the skills to do things themselves. Staff recognised that some people would always require a degree of support, and they worked with individuals to set achievable, meaningful goals that built confidence. One staff member said, “One of the best things is to see young people become more independent and building skills. It is one of the main focuses of my job.”

Care plans clearly outlined the support people needed with personal care, as well as the areas where they wished to remain independent. This ensured staff delivered care that promoted skills development and supported people to grow in independence. There were examples of people being supported to reduce their reliance on formal staff support. This included helping people access community services safely, reducing their anxiety in these environments over time, and gradually decreasing the level of staff involvement as their confidence increased.

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.

People told us staff knew them well and could recognise when they were struggling, unwell or needed extra support. This included knowing when people required additional help with personal care, when they were distressed or when they needed personal space. Staff described using flexible, intuitive strategies based on people’s needs. For example, one staff member explained how they supported a person to keep safe when they were experiencing escalating anxiety and behaviour in the community. They told us that understanding the person’s behaviour and communication needs helped ensure potentially challenging situations could be managed and deescalated.

The provider organised care flexibly to meet people’s changing needs, adjusting visit times and frequency when required. The registered manager monitored people’s care to identify changes in need and used an evidence‑based approach to present information to commissioners. This helped secure both increases and decreases in support where appropriate. Staff understood the importance of accurate care records so leaders could present a clear and reliable picture of people’s needs during professional reviews.

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

Staff told us they felt supported, fairly treated and valued in their roles. Staff reported that senior leaders were approachable and fair, which enabled them to raise issues or concerns confidently.

The provider operated clear systems to promote staff safety and wellbeing. Lone‑working risk assessments were in place to help ensure staff remained safe at work. Dedicated out‑of‑hours and overnight support ensured staff always had access to a senior member of the team if they needed support.