Helping Hands Stourbridge

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 70 (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 and relatives told us people were provided with positive, kind and dignified care. Staff described how they treated people as they would treat their own family, and relatives supported this, saying, “[Person] really loves their staff; they’re great with them.”

Leaders told us, and records we reviewed confirmed, how staff supervisions, team meetings, training were designed to ensure staff were clear on the importance of people being treated with compassion and dignity.

The provider did not always treat people as individuals or make sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

Care plans and risk assessments did not always reflect people’s individual needs and preferences. For example, some records did not make accurate reference to some people’s individual health needs and how they wanted these to be met by staff. This meant people were at risk of their individual needs not always being consistently understood by staff.

However, people were consulted about their care arrangements, and people and relatives told us staff treated them as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment aligned with their needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

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

People’s views were also sought from leaders. For example, people and their relatives told us they were involved in the care planning process, both when they moved to the service and on a regular ongoing basis.

People who had mental capacity to make decisions about their care arrangements, told us they were encouraged and supported by staff to have independence and control over their care. For example, 1 person told us, “I’m supported to live how I want to live.” Where people were unable to make decisions for themselves, staff got to know people well and were able to present informed choices to support people in making those decisions.

People’s care records showed how people were encouraged and supported to have choice and control over their lives.

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 received support at agreed times and people’s needs were responded to promptly by staff. For example, people who requested support with their mobility needs were appropriately supported so they were able to attend healthcare appointments.

People were supported by a consistent care team, which staff and relatives told us enabled them to be able to get to know and understand the needs of the people they supported. One person told us, “I’ve gotten to know all my staff; they’re the same bunch I’ve had for a while.”

Staff received training which supported their awareness and understanding of how to recognise and respond promptly to people's needs. This included training in communication and behaviour support.

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

Leaders told us how the support they provided staff was based on the belief that colleagues should be respected and supported as people and not just as members of staff. Leaders provided examples of how understanding and flexibility had been shown to staff to ensure they were able to maintain a positive work-life balance.

Staff told us they felt supported by the provider, with 1 staff member telling us, “What can I say, they’re just brilliant; so supportive.”

This meant we were assured the provider cared about and promoted a culture which considered the wellbeing of staff.