Care Matters (Wiltshire) Ltd

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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People were very complimentary about the staff and the overall service they received. Specific comments included, “They’re nothing other than kind”, “They’re amazing” and “They really show what care should look like.” Relatives were equally as positive. One relative said, “They are good at everything. The way they relate to him, understand him and encourage him has really helped him” and “They listen, respect, and meet new challenges as they come.”

Staff spoke fondly about the people they supported and said they loved their job. They were able to give many examples of how they promoted kindness, compassion and dignity. One staff member said, “We are there to help people, if we go in and they are upset we don’t ignore that and get on with the personal care. Taking a cup of tea and having a chat can be just as important.”

The registered manager told us all staff demonstrated kindness and compassion during interventions, as it was ingrained in their way of working. They said they were very proud of the staff team as they always put the person at the forefront of everything they did.

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 told us they were pleased to be supported by a small team of regular staff. Specific comments included “It’s good, as I know them and they know me” and “I’m really delighted with them all.” One relative told us “They’ve lifted his spirits. He’s much more cheerful these days”.

Relatives were complimentary about the flexibility of the service and how it met their family member’s individual needs. Specific comments included, “As her needs change then so does the pattern of care” and “The carers have been very patient and built up his trust. They hit on an incentive and cook [their favourite meal] with [alcohol].”

Staff clearly knew people’s individual needs and preferences. They said they wanted to improve people’s quality of life, rather than solely focusing on care interventions. Management told us staff had worked with a person over time had helped them to accept support and use verbal speech again. The registered manager confirmed this and said staff had been part of many success stories. This included helping a person research their family tree which had identified previously unknown relatives. A member of the management team told us, “It was amazing.”

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

People and their relatives told us independence was promoted. Specific comments included, “They leave me alone to do things I can do for myself” and “They’re not afraid to step back if she wants or can do something for herself.”

The registered manager told us people’s rights were central to the agency’s way of working. They told us staff demonstrated these values throughout their work. Staff confirmed this. They told us they always encouraged people to remain as independent as possible and be involved in their care. This included encouraging the person to wash the parts of their body they could easily reach. Staff told us they always gave people choices such as what to eat and drink, and what to wear.

Care planning contained detailed information about what was important to the person and how independence could be promoted. This included how staff needed to put toothpaste on the person’s toothbrush so they could brush their teeth independently.

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 and their relatives told us the service was very responsive. One relative told us their family member became upset when seeing the staff member’s uniform so it was agreed they would wear their ordinary clothes. Another relative said, “They’re so flexible and seem to take everything in their stride.”

People told us they received a reliable service which met their needs. They said staff always arrived on time and knew them well. This meant there was no anxiety about their support being missed or being supported by unfamiliar faces.

The registered manager told us the reliability, consistency and flexibility of the service was important to them. They said they always considered which staff member would be best suited to support a person. They then gained feedback from the person and made any changes required. The registered manager told us the relationship between the person and the staff member had to be positive for it to work and develop.

Management told us much of the support the service provided was long term, but short-term care packages were available if needed. This included short periods of convalescence following a hospital admission. They said once independence was assured and the person felt the service was no longer required, it would be stopped.

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

Staff were complimentary about the registered manager. They said they were well supported and person-centred care was always enabled. Staff received regular training and could ask for additional subjects to be covered if needed. They said they were always provided with training before supporting a person with specialist needs. Some training was electronic but those staff who found technology more difficult were given help through discussion.

The registered manager told us they were privileged to have the staff team. They said they all worked hard and were committed to their role. The registered manager told us they provided formal and informal support and were responsive to personal circumstances. This included reducing the staff member’s working hours or their allocation of visits if needed.