Helping Hands Epsom

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 as good. At this assessment the rating has remained as good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 79 (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 making 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.

People were empowered to be in control of the specialist care they received. One person required a stoma due to a health condition. Staff had received training in this area, but the person wished to become more involved in the process and share their knowledge and lived experience, so suggested that staff carry out physical care for their stoma as part of the training process. This had become an integral part of the standard training carers completed for stoma care. Carers were able to learn in a supportive environment guided by both colleagues but also by someone living with a stoma which helped to develop their confidence and remove their anxieties. This also gave the person receiving care purpose, being an active partner in improving the quality of care delivered to other people. Her valuable input was recognised by the management team of the service, as they presented them with a ‘train the trainer’ badge to acknowledge their expertise and willingness to support others.

People were empowered to achieve goals that were deeply personal to them. One person had a particular fondness for steam train holidays but had not been able to attend one in recent years due to there not being anyone able to go with them to support them. When the person started to receive care from Helping Hands Epsom, they were matched with a staff member who had similar interests. This allowed their rapport and relationship to grow, to a point where the person felt empowered to book a particular steam train vacation they had dreamed of experiencing. The staff member focused not on just accompanying the person on holiday but worked with them to understand what they wanted to achieve from the holiday, so it was safe but enjoyable for them. They supported the person to be at the centre of all the decisions made while risk assessing aspects of the holiday such as access and emergency situations. This planning allowed the person to experience a dream holiday and gave them the confidence to plan future travels knowing that this dream was now possible.

People were supported to face difficult circumstances to improve their health and wellbeing. One person had lost a family member which had had a profound effect on their mental wellbeing. This had resulted in their home becoming cluttered and them being unable to locate items of importance. Staff worked closely with the person to build trust, so that eventually they felt comfortable in allowing the staff member to start helping them work through their possessions slowly week by week during each care visit. This resulted in the person’s home becoming decluttered and finding items from their late family member which they were able to gift to other family members as per their wishes. As the work was completed at the person’s pace, they were able to reflect on happy memories rather than it being overwhelming for them. They were also able to use their bathroom again to have a full wash, which had not been possible due to it previously being too cluttered. The process increased the person’s confidence and independence, as they were able to mobilise around their house safely, knowing where all their belongings were.

Staff went above and beyond to ensure those who were at risk of isolation and consequential negative effects on their health and wellbeing were supported through times of adverse weather. One staff member noted with the management team they were concerned 1 person may not keep hydrated during a recent heatwave. They asked for permission to visit the person on their day off as the person also had no care calls booked for that day. Upon arrival, they found the person was struggling with the heat so they made a cool drink and placed a fan in front of them. The person acknowledged the difference this had made to them by later calling the management team, thanking the staff member for their visit during their time off work, and stating the impact this had had on their wellbeing.

Staff worked closely with other branches within the provider’s group to ensure people could continue to receive consistent care when visiting people important in their lives. One person enjoyed staying with a relative out of county on a regular basis. The management team had shared the person’s care plan with another branch of the provider’s group who lived local to their relative, so the person was able to receive continuity of care while visiting them. This meant the person only needed to tell their story once and was empowered to continue to receive care whilst visiting loved ones.

We did not look at Care provision, Integration and continuity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Providing Information during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

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.

We did not look at Equity in access during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

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.

We did not look at Planning for the future during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.