Comforting Healthcare

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 64 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service did not always make sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they did not always work in partnership with people, to decide how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People’s care plans did not consistently reflect their physical and mental health needs. Some plans were incomplete or contained outdated information. For example, key details relating to medication management and long-term conditions were missing or insufficiently documented.

Staff understood each person’s support needs and preferences. They knew what people liked and how best to support them. A staff member told us, “We treat people with dignity. Person centred care is individual to what people want.”

The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. People told us they usually had the same staff providing their care, and their care arrangements were consistent. Visits were generally punctual and met their needs. When additional support was required, the provider liaised with other professionals, such as district nurses, to ensure care was well-coordinated.

The service supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. One person was unable to read, and the registered manager was actively looking for resources to support the person’s communication needs in a format that was appropriate to the person’s individual requirements. In the meantime, others could assist by reading information aloud or showing pictures.

The service ensured people could easily share feedback, ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment, and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and explained what had changed as a result. One person told us, “Yes, they listen to me, they are lovely.”

People and their relatives understood how to make a complaint, and most felt confident that concerns would be handled effectively. Comments included, “Yes, I made a complaint before, and it was dealt with, so I do feel they listen” and “We know how to contact the office if we have any concerns; [person] will do this also.” However, 1 relative said, “I have told them many times about staff arriving late and not doing anything with [person]. They just say they will speak with the staff, but I don’t know what has happened from this. I would like to know.”

The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. Staff adapted care to meet individual needs and preferences, taking steps to ensure that access was never limited by personal characteristics or social factors.

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.People and relatives provided positive feedback to us about the service. The provider actively sought feedback from people and their relatives. Although, staff had not completed equality, diversity and human rights training. The provider told us they were reviewing staff training.

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.