Third Hand Care Also known as Third Hand Care

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 told us they were treated with kindness, compassion and dignity. Their comments included, “My carers are very kind people and lovely to chat to”, “I like the carers, they are kind and they often do more than I ask – like they will get me the phone and put it back to make sure it is charging, very helpful with little things like that” and “They are all helpful and ask if there is anything else I need.” A relative echoed this and said, “The carers are great. They are very kind and compassionate and they even sing to [family member] and [they] love that.”

The registered manager told us they ensured people were always treated with kindness and compassion. They sought feedback from people and relatives to ensure any concerns were addressed promptly.

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 detailed people’s wishes and preferences, and we saw evidence that the staff knew and respected these. The management and care staff were dedicated to ensuring people’s needs were met. They knew people’s individual needs well and were committed to ensuring they were treated as individuals.This included respecting people’s faith and relationships.

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 choices and independence were encouraged and promoted. Their personal, cultural, social and religious needs were understood and respected. These were sought during the initial assessment and recorded in their care plans. One person told us, “I feel like it’s all my choice, they support me for what I want and I’m happy with the [care workers].” A relative confirmed this and said, “[Family member] is very content, [the staff] give [them] choices.”

People’s aspirations were identified and respected. People’s care plans included their background, preferred activities and what made them happy and fulfilled.

The registered manager told us people were always at the centre of every decision made at the service. They told us, “We support people to access the community, such as going shopping, or to a day centre.”

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 relatives told us the care staff were kind and provided care and support in line with their wishes and needs. They told us the staff were always willing to help.

The care staff and the senior team were accessible and happy to modify care when people wanted this. The registered manager told us they were always happy to have a chat with people to discuss anything they required.

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

The registered manager spoke positively about the staff team. There were systems in place to identify if staff had any specific health or wellbeing needs.

Staff felt supported and spoke of being a good team. A staff member told us, “I feel supported in my role. I have been given space to grow in my career. When I have made mistakes, I have the right leadership correct me on what I need to do better to continue excelling. When the duties feel a bit overwhelming, we work together as a team for quality care.”

Staff were supported and encouraged to develop within their roles, and progress if they wished. For example, a number of care workers had been supported to become care coordinators, or senior care workers. This meant the staff team felt appreciated and valued and were less likely to leave the service.