Purple Heart Health Care

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 65 (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.

Relatives spoke highly of the staff’s kind, caring and compassionate approach. A relative said, “The staff are very kind, caring, supportive and respectful. Nothing is too much trouble.”

Relatives raised no concerns about the care package and were confident staff were unrushed when supporting their family member. They told us staff took the time needed to provide care safely and respectfully, without making people feel rushed or pressured.

A sample of daily care records confirmed they were written respectfully about people.

Staff understood the importance of treating people with dignity and respect.A staff member said, “Privacy and dignity are respected by maintaining confidentiality, seeking consent, providing personal care respectfully and ensuring people are treated with kindness and respect at all times.”

The provider did not always treat people as individuals or make sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They did not always take account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s care records lacked important information about their individual needs, preferences, routines, aspirations, and backgrounds. This information was essential to support the delivery of person‑centred care. However, we concluded this was primarily a recording issue. Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the importance of treating people as individuals, and relatives were complimentary about the positive and respectful relationships staff had formed with their family members. They told us staff knew people well and understood what was important to them.

We discussed our findings with the registered manager, who acknowledged that guidance for staff needed to be reviewed and made more detailed to ensure records accurately reflected people’s needs and preferences.

The provider did not always promote people’s independence, so people did not always know their rights and have choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Staff and relatives provided examples of how people’s independence, choice, and control were supported. For example, a relative said, “Staff try and encourage and promote independence, such as when getting dressed/undressed, but it depends on [name’s] mood what they’re willing to do.”

However, guidance for staff about promoting independence, choice and control was not reflected in people’s care records. We concluded that, because people were supported by regular staff who knew them well, this was primarily a recording issue. However, the lack of documented information meant new or less experienced staff would not have access to the guidance needed to understand people’s preferences and routines. This created a risk that care would be delivered inconsistently, potentially negatively impacting the person’s experience and outcome.

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.

Relatives were positive about the response by the registered manager and staff in responding and supporting in any care and support changes. A relative said, “Staff are very good and know what they are doing. [Name] can become dysregulated, and they know this and how to support them.”

Relatives also confirmed how the service was flexible and responsive to requests for changes to the care package. A relative said, “I have regular contact with the manager, and they ask if any changes are required and support when changes are required.”

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

Staff were positive about working for the provider and raised no concerns about their working conditions. A staff member said, “I really enjoy working at this company because of the consistency of the hierarchy. The quality of care which we are providing to the service users. The teamwork between the staff and the management. I really like the working conditions, as they suit me.”

Reasonable adjustments were made to support staff in their roles. This included a choice and flexibility regarding staff work patterns that took into account of caring responsibilities.

Staff meetings were held to reaffirm expectations of roles and responsibilities and identify areas for improvement.