Proxy Care Personnel

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has remained Good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Care plans were person centred and included information such as the person’s life history, careers, and favourite holidays. Consideration was also given to people’s religious and cultural needs. For example, 1 person had requested for carers from Asia to support them, preferably who spoke their first language. A review meeting record confirmed that this had been delivered and the person was extremely happy with the care they received.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People had care delivered to them by a small, dedicated team of carers. This allowed people to

know who would be providing care to them each day and good rapports to be built. One person told us, “I have the same 4 carers, so I know I them now.” Another person said, “There is also continuity of care which is very important.” A relative added, “They have a cohort of 4. If a new staff is coming, they will for a few days beforehand so she knows who the new staff member is.” The registered manager confirmed in the case of an emergency the staffing teams could be flexible and cover additional calls elsewhere if needed.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Care plans included information about people’s specific communication needs. For example, 1 person had memory issues due to a diagnosis of dementia. Their communication plan advised staff how to communicate with them so to avoid upsetting them due to their diagnosis. A staff member told us, “I make sure that the client understands that I am there to support them. Anything I feel is good for them I will communicate that. If something is not good for them then I will explain it using good communication.”

Relatives felt the staffing team at all levels were proactive and engaged with communication. One relative told us, “We have good communication with the staff and office alike.” Another relative added, “They are very scrupulous at reporting back to the office and they are so keen to provide the best service so they will call me to discuss anything.”

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

There were multiple opportunities and methods for people and family members to provide feedback to the service throughout the year. Bi-monthly surveys were sent to people to complete, with clear visual cues as well as areas for written feedback. The registered manager confirmed, “We do spot checking too so we ask people how the service is going. We ask for feedback within the reviews. We also call people every quarter and gather their feedback too.” Staff and external professionals were also asked for their feedback regularly.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff sought additional support from external partners for people when it was identified this was required. The registered manager told us, “Sometimes we have to fight to gain even just an extra 15 minutes of funding which is crucial to support that person and prevent a safeguarding. It’s all about working together and ensuring messages pass through other parties. If we feel we can reach out to other resources, we always will do. Our team have recognised where there are gaps and we have liaised with outside agencies to achieve this.” This ensured people had access to the support they needed as it occurred.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff spoke up for people’s whose voice was seldom heard. For example, staff had identified 1 person they supported with a learning disability required support to access the community and socialise with their peers. The registered manager told us, “The family were getting nowhere with the local authority granting funding to get her out to socialise. I went out to see them and told the family we need to work as a team to support her. We went to the local authority and told them they need to encourage the person to achieve this and held the local authority accountable. This resulted in them agreeing to the additional support this person needed.”

Staff spoke up for people who required additional support from services such as independent advocacy. This was to ensure the systems within the person’s care allowed for positive outcomes.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

The service was not currently providing end of life care to anyone. However, people’s wishes around their future were recorded in care plans. This included advanced decisions and Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR) forms.

Staff had received compliments from relatives when their family member had passed away. One compliment read, “[Three staff members] are excellent and showed mum care and kindness. I know she was very fond of them.”