Support Care Services

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. A person told us, “They are [staff member] very good, polite and respectful.” A relative told us, “The carers are brilliant and treat [person] so gently and kindly.” Another relative told us, “They [staff] have been unbelievably caring and kind. Everything is done with consent and consideration. There are no concerns with keeping [persons] dignity, they are very careful and very respectful.”

People spoke positively about the care they received and told us staff were kind and caring and positive relationships had developed between them. A relative told us, “They [staff] appear to be very caring and communicate well with [person]. The regular carers have built up a rapport and understand [person] well.” Another relative told us, “They [staff] really are so respectful and kind. They care for [person] as though they were their own relative.”

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’s care records contained information about their individual needs, preferences, personal, cultural, social and religious needs.

People’s individual needs and preferences were understood and reflected in their care, treatment and support. A relative told us, “Because they [staff] understand them so well, they know how to communicate with [person], calm them down if necessary and encourage [person] to engage with them.” Another relative told us, “They [staff] understand fully that [person] may be a bit resistant and do things at [person’s] speed, changing the order of things if necessary to make [person] feel more settled.” Another relative told us, “I am there every evening and notice the difference in their mood and enthusiasm on the days the carers have been.”

People were able to visit family and friends, receive visitors and were supported and encouraged to maintain relationships with people who were important to them. A relative told us, “They [staff] are all so kind and helpful and have built up a good rapport with all of us.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. People were supported with their independence and encouraged to do as much as they could for themselves. A person told us, “I am still very independent and can do most things for myself, but it’s nice to have [staff member] visit because I am more confident with them in the house.” A relative told us, “They [staff] are absolutely brilliant and [person] feels totally happy and confident with them in the home and looking after them.”

Care records showed people and relatives were involved in making choices about their care and treatment. Care reviews with people and relatives took place in which people’s care was discussed and reviewed, and they were involved in making decisions about their care to ensure people’s needs were continually being met. A relative told us, “They [Support Care Services] are excellent at communicating and always have time for us if we need to speak with them.”

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Processes were in place for staff to respond to people’s needs in the moment. Staff had knowledge of recognising when people’s needs changed and understood their responsibilities in reporting concerns to senior staff. A relative told us, “They [staff] really understand [person] and their condition and can adapt and revise what they are doing to accommodate the mood of the day.” Another relative told us, “The carers are very responsive on a daily basis and can adapt and change depending on the situation. They are very good at informing me if there are any concerns and we have a good understanding. If I have any issues, I will ring them. They always answer promptly and will listen to my concerns.”

Daily records were completed of support provided to people to ensure staff were aware of any changes to people’s conditions or support needs. A staff member told us, “We have team meetings and online platforms to share information and updates about the service and people we support.”

The provider supported staff wellbeing which enabled them to deliver person centred care. Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the provider. Staff told us they could raise any concerns, and they were confident they would be addressed. A staff member told us, “The manager communicates with us and we can talk with them and they do resolve things.”