Caremark Cheltenham and Tewkesbury

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 85 (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 and their relatives confirmed this by describing the staff as ‘exceptional’, ‘life savers’, ‘genuine, kind and caring’. We were told staff took great care especially when delivering personal care to ensure privacy and dignity was respected. For example, asking the person if they wanted their family member present during personal care or not, talking to the person and explaining what was happening at each stage of the care. Staff used the persons preferred name, at all times and were able to interact well as they visited regularly and had built up a good rapport with the person and their family. One relative told us, “I know he is safe and they care deeply for him.”

The service supported a person with significant anxiety and the registered managers told us they rang the office multiple times a day for reassurance. The response from staff was patience and understanding, taking time to listen and never rushing, enabling the person to feel safe and heard.

One staff member told us, “I get to know the people I care for by being an active listener, a keen observer, and by genuinely showing interest in their activities. Caring is not just about completing tasks; it’s about understanding and respecting the individual behind the care plan.”

Another said, “I know a client who prefers his tea in his favourite blue mug and likes the news on at 8:00 AM. Knowing these small details helps build trust and makes him feel seen, not just 'processed'.”

A relative described how the regular staff member used inventive methods to encourage the person to exercise specific muscles to regain strength, stating, “They have endless patience…It’s what we want and what he needs.”

Some of the comments we received were, “Lovely, lovely carers who are now friends”, “Carers try and make time for a chat and we get on so well”, “I am never left alone during personal care and they always have a towel or robe” and “The carers have a lovely manner and call my parents by their first name.”

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they 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.

Staff and the management team adapted their approaches or support accordingly in response to how people presented that day, or how specific needs emerged. For example, one person was supported in a hotel to continue their care routine whilst adaptations were being carried out on their home. This meant the person saw the same staff, their daily activities were maintained and disruption was reduced.

Another person received support to maintain and develop a hobby which meant a lot to them as an individual. The registered managers told us they recognised that supporting a person’s creative interests and needs were just as important to meeting their physical needs.

Another person was supported to communicate in their preferred first language. This meant their engagement with their own care process improved, their confidence increased and they felt respected and understood. A trusting relationship had developed and had provided very good outcomes for the supported person.

People received consistency with their support staff and positive relationships and individualised support had been established as a result. For example, one staff member told us, “[People] may both have a need for me to prepare a cup of tea for them during the visit, but one may want their tea very strong while the other wants it weak, so a combination of the care plan and me engaging the clients for specific details enables me to provide care specific to their needs.”

The service was very adaptable to individual needs, whether they were temporary or a long-term change.

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

The provider’s service user guide outlined the aims and objectives of the service. These included the encouragement and promotion of the independence and safety of people; ensuring peoples values, rights, dignity and choices were respected at all times. It documented the types of support provided and how their care would be set up, reviewed and monitored.

The service had a complaints and data protection policy in place. People were offered the contact details and process of how to make a complaint to the service or an external organisation such as the Ombudsman, if they were unhappy with the care they had received. No-one we spoke with had needed to make a complaint but knew the process.

People and their relatives told us, “Care plans are reviewed regularly we have gone from 2 to 4 carers”, “The folder is great and has all the details I might need” and “Yes, I have been asked about male/female carer preferences.”

The provider had an accessible information policy in place to ensure the NHS Accessible Information Standard (AIS) guidelines were followed. This ensured people were supported using their preferred communication method. Staff were trained in communication in line with the Care Certificate framework, which is a nationally recognised standard of care.

The service supported people with specific physical, practical and emotional needs. Their tailored holistic support allowed people to manage all areas of their lives as they chose, including family life, re-gaining confidence in themselves and maintaining personal identity.

The registered managers told us they use 3 levels of support, ‘check, help and do’ to identify each person’s individual needs and ensure staff were working with them rather than doing tasks for them. This approach encouraged and promoted independence and a personal involvement in their daily activities.

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.

Staff and people were supported by the ‘on call’ system, where they could contact the service at any time and outside of office hours if needed. This meant urgent changes or unexpected events could be responded to in a timely manner.

The registered managers worked with stakeholder health and social care staff to respond to immediate needs. Commissioners required an urgent four times daily package of care to start immediately. They were able to arrange for the same day evening visit start.

A supported person was discharged from hospital without the essential equipment they required, which placed them at risk. Staff acted quickly and made contact with the community occupational health team who had the equipment delivered the next day. This reduced the persons risk significantly and improved their safety.

One relative told us their family member had been the victim of a scam and had lost a lot of money. The regular staff member immediately contacted the persons relative and the relevant authorities and took immediate steps to prevent it reoccurring until the relative was able to intervene.

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 by the whole management team, field care supervisors, registered managers and the nominated individual. Staff were supported with practical guidance, emotional reassurance and advice from different levels of management. Staff had their own meetings without managers with ‘work reps’ who took back to the managers any issues or concerns raised, anonymously if requested. The points raised and responses from managers was shared on the service private social media account to show all staff how they were being addressed.

Staff comments included, “I do feel supported by all the staff that I work with and above me”, I feel I have made the best move from my previous employer and I enjoy making a difference in peoples lives, not just the [person] but also the staff” and “I not only feel supported but feel able to grow and do my job to my best ability.”