Genuine Carers - Oxford City

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.

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 treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff also treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect, supporting positive working relationships.

People consistently described staff as polite, friendly, gentle and respectful. Care was delivered in a person‑centred way that promoted dignity and individuality. One relative told us, “[Name] gets on well with the carer, the staff have been amazing – good, kind and willing.”

Staff knew people well and demonstrated an understanding of their preferences, wishes, personal histories and backgrounds. This helped ensure care was delivered in a respectful and meaningful way. People were supported to have choice and control over their care and were involved in decisions about their support and wellbeing.

A healthcare professional told us, “They demonstrate compassion and treat everyone as an individual.” This reflected a culture of kindness and respect that was evident across the service.

The provider treated people as individuals and ensured care, support and treatment reflected people’s needs and preferences. Staff took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture, backgrounds and protected characteristics when delivering care.

Staff had received training in equality, diversity and inclusion, which reinforced the importance of recognising and respecting people as individuals with diverse needs.

People and their relatives spoke positively about the personalised way care was delivered. One relative told us, “They are very polite and gentle when washing [person] and don’t rush [person], which I think is important.” Another relative said, “They always greet [person] by name, chat to both of us and say goodbye using their name.” This demonstrated that staff treated people with respect and took time to build meaningful relationships.

Professionals also provided positive feedback. One professional told us, “I have observed carers and management to be patient, client‑focused and compassionate under difficult circumstances.” This showed staff consistently delivered care that recognised and respected people as individuals.

The provider promoted people’s independence and supported people to understand their rights and to have choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing.

People were treated as individuals. Person‑centred care plans were in place and reflected people’s individual needs, abilities and preferences. Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and how to support them appropriately, and people confirmed that staff understood what was important to them.

Care plans clearly outlined what people could do for themselves and where support was needed. Where people required assistance, staff were encouraged to involve them as much as possible. This approach promoted independence and dignity and supported people to remain actively involved in their own care.

Relatives spoke positively about how staff supported independence. One relative told us, “[Name] picks out their own clothes from the wardrobe that they show [person].” Another said, “They take their time and don’t hurry me. They help me to dress but I tell them what I want to wear, they also watch as I brush my own teeth.” Others told us staff encouraged people to wash their face, use their hand as much as possible and use cutlery when they were able.

This demonstrated that staff supported people to make choices and maintain control over their daily routines, in a way that respected their abilities and promoted independence.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in a timely way and took action to minimise discomfort, concern or distress when issues arose.

People’s health and medical needs were clearly recorded in care plans, including details of GP services and next of kin. Staff had completed first aid training, which supported them to respond appropriately to people’s immediate health needs. Most people were supported by staff who were familiar to them, which enabled staff to anticipate and respond quickly to changes in people’s wellbeing and reduce anxiety or distress.

People and relatives told us staff understood how to meet people’s needs. One person told us, “They also check for bedsores and remind me whether the district nurse has come to give me my insulin.” This showed staff were attentive to people’s health needs and worked alongside other healthcare professionals.

Relatives said they felt reassured by staff responses. One relative told us, “[Name] tells me about their mental health, and if anything serious happened, they would contact me and call an ambulance, [person] is like a friend.” This demonstrated staff responded appropriately to concerns and kept people and their families informed.

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

Staff had access to training that supported them to meet people’s needs and develop their skills. They had regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest improvements to the service. This was achieved through regular staff supervision and team meetings. Staff told us they felt supported by the management team and were comfortable raising any concerns. Supervisions and team meetings were held regularly, giving staff time to discuss their wellbeing, workload and any issues relating to their role.

Staff feedback was positive. Comments included, “They respect their staff,” and “The management is perfect, they help me out and always get back to me if I have any issues.” Staff also told us they would be happy for someone they knew to be supported by the service, which demonstrated staff confidence in the quality of care being delivered.