Helping Hands Cambridge

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. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. People spoke positively about how staff supported them in a considerate and respectful way within their own homes. One person told us,” [Staff] are very kind and caring, and they listen and don’t rush me.” A relative told us, “They [staff] are kind, caring and compassionate and they talk to [family member] and are always patient.” Another relative told us they were “confident” that staff looked after people “as if they were their own family.” Staff were supported through training and observations to ensure they maintained and promoted people’s dignity.

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. Care plans were personalised, reflecting cultural, social and religious needs alongside communication preferences. People and their relatives told us that staff took the time to get to know their family members as individuals. One family member said, “[Staff] are all very personable and well trained and know [relative]’s history and know what they are doing.”

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 happy with how they were supported by staff and the care they received. Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of each person’s needs and described how they promoted independence as part of daily care. The registered manager explained people’s preferences, views and goals were routinely updated within care plans, ensuring staff had the most current information on how best to support people to remain independent. One relative told us, “[Name] is quite independent and they [staff] try to keep him that way.”

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. People were supported by staff who were familiar to them, which enabled staff to anticipate and meet people’s needs quickly and in ways that was the most effective for the individual. People and their relatives told us staff delivered care promptly and efficiently, which helped them feel safe and well supported. People and their relatives referred to the service provided as being “flexible” and “accommodating”, ensuring people received timely support.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Members of staff were well supported by the management team, with regular supervisions and team meetings, alongside more informal day-to-day guidance. One staff member told us, “I think Helping Hands have been very professional and have been very generous with the amount of support and training they provided for me. I am very happy and proud to be working here.”