Vincentian Care Plus

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 80 (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.

Staff consistently described working in a respectful and friendly way with people. Some staff had worked with the same people for many years and had mutually built up strong but professional bonds. Staff told us they took their time with people, didn’t rush and were respectful of people going at their own pace. Staff understood the need to keep people’s information private and ensuring privacy to support their dignity.

A member of staff told us, “I actively uphold VCP’s core values. I ensure that each service user’s choices are respected, their dignity is preserved in every interaction, and care is delivered with empathy and consistency.”

People who used the service and their representatives told us that staff respected people’s own homes and were kind and caring. A person told us, “They are amazing, respectful and polite.” Another person said, “They give me private, respectful personal care.”

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.

A person using the service told us, “Very good. I can’t complain. When they have done whatever I want them to do, they sit and talk to me, which is nice. It breaks up the day.” A person’s representative said, “They really listen to what my [relative] wants.”

People’s care plans also demonstrated a person-centred approach that respected people’s individual preferences. Staff and people using the service confirmed that the care plans were followed.

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

People and their representatives told us the care packages were tailored to their individual wants and needs. People said they felt in control and their choices were respected.

The results of a satisfaction survey in 2024 showed that independence and engagement were emphasised, with 94.3% of people agreeing they were encouraged to be part of the community.

The service had effective care planning systems and processes, which helped enable people to make choices and decisions and have control over their lives, including their care and support.

The service supported people to understand their rights by using different languages and individual communication techniques whenever needed.

Staff ensured people were able to access and maintain important relationships and networks, such as friends and family, as well as the wider community. The service also supported people to obtain and use various equipment that could also help enhance their independence.

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 and their representatives told us that most staff knew them well and responded quickly when they needed anything. A person using the service told us, “I sometimes get depressed, they [staff] are soothing and quiet with me then.”Another person explained how they had felt unwell, and a member of staff had stayed with them, until a family member arrived to help.

Staff confirmed that people’s needs were always responded to straight away. They also said there was good communication with the office and everybody always did their best to accommodate any changes, particularly if they needed to happen quickly. A member of staff told us, “I always make it a priority to understand the client's needs first, so I can confidently provide them with the support they require.”

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were happy in their work and felt valued, which was reflected in a low turnover of staff. More than 50% of staff had worked for the service for longer than 2 years, with over 30% having worked for the service for more than 5 years. This meant that people using the service benefitted from a stable and consistent staff team.

Staff we spoke with or received feedback from, spoke very highly of the service. Staff said the management team genuinely cared about their personal wellbeing, as well as their professional development. Staff consistently told us they had regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service. Staff told us they were confident and competent in providing a good quality service for the people they supported, because they were happy and well supported.

A member of staff told us, “Our office has an open-door policy. The carers are encouraged to come in freely and eat their lunch when they have rest periods.” They explained how this helped ensure an inclusive and welcoming environment.Another member of staff told us, “The support here is exceptional. Our managers consistently check in on my wellbeing, which I deeply appreciate.”

All staff told us they would recommend the service as a place to work and made comments such as, “I feel very lucky to be part of such a supportive and caring team.” and, “It’s a caring, professional environment with good training and support. You feel valued as a member of the team.”

The provider had excellent systems and processes in place to make sure staff’s health, safety and wellbeing was consistently promoted. The management team was well structured and they followed effective processes to make sure staff felt valued and included in all aspects of the service.

The provider’s processes ensured that everyone with line management responsibility maintained regular contact with their staff, both out in the field and within the office. There were processes for checking and supporting staff’s emotional health and wellbeing, as well as their competency. Feedback from staff confirmed that the processes were effective and made them feel truly valued, confident and competent.

A member of staff told us, “I provide both practical and emotional support to care workers, especially in distressing circumstances such as the loss of a service user during a shift.”

The systems for staff support, supervisions and appraisals helped identify if staff needed additional support or training in any area. The provider’s ethos, processes and systems also ensured that adjustments were made, when needed, to enable staff enhance their professional development.

Staff’s opinions and feedback were consistently welcomed and we saw evidence that demonstrated how staff were supported positively and compassionately if they were struggling at work. We were fully assured that the culture within the service normalised the wellbeing of staff through inclusivity, active listening and open conversations. This helped enable staff to be well and to do their jobs well.