Folkestone Home 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 changed to Outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 95 (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 treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People spoke highly about how caring staff were, and that they took the time to learn about them, their interests, stories and passions. They were matched up with people specifically based on their personalities and interests. For example, one person enjoyed sports such as cricket and tennis, and had a carer who was also interested in these which brought them enjoyment during their visits. Another relative told us, “Staff are really kind. Sometimes they will sit next to him and chat with him about his interests. That was asked when he was assessed about what his likes were, so staff knew what was important and could chat to him about them.” A further relative we spoke shared their experience and remarked on how the care shown by staff had improved the wellbeing of her relative for the better, “(Person name) likes to show holiday photos and have a conversation. We have seen a difference in her, she's laughing and happier.”

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People were supported in a way that put their own stories, wishes and aspirations at its heart. The registered manager told us that her ambitions were, “People are supported to thrive. Even if the improvements are small, they are important.” There were comprehensive assessments of needs when people joined Folkestone Home Care which recorded a holistic overview of each person, to ensure the care they received was tailored to what they wanted to achieve. This was regularly reviewed alongside people to ensure it continued to meet their aspirations. This allowed staff to work with them and make a positive difference to their life. One staff member told us about the pride they took in supporting a person to reconnect with his friends. They told us, “A person I support was feeling down as they couldn’t go out and have coffee at friends. But we have now arranged a weekly outing, this has made a huge difference to him and his wellbeing.” The provider also recognised the skills each person had, and empowered them to in turn support the staff who cared for them. For instance, a staff member explained how they had taken one person swimming to aid with their recovery. The staff member had struggled with cooking before and this person had improved their confidence with doing so. The person proudly told us, “The manager will let me know if someone doesn't know how to cook and I will teach them. One staff member used to only microwave and now enjoys cooking because I taught her.”

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

People were supported to regain their independence which allowed them to take part in the things that mattered to them. Choice was at the heart of each person’s care, which was personalised to them and the goals they wanted to achieve from their support. People were now able to attend work, meet up with friends in the community and regain their mobility. We heard the story of one person who had returned home from hospital with very poor mobility and was only able to live downstairs in their own home. With the assistance of staff, they were able to begin climbing the stairs independently and regaining access to all parts of their home, as well as being able to undertake personal care with greater independence to support their dignity. People emphasised that where intimate tasks were undertaken, the provider encouraged people to do so as independently as possible to give them autonomy over their own bodies. One relative told us, “They prompt (person name) so that he keeps his independence and only help where needed.” Another person told us “Yes, they maintain my independence with personal care, what I want, how I want it, then they let me lead. If they see me struggling, they'll ask me if I want some help.”

Choice was promoted at all stages to ensure care was personalised to people. One person told us, “Sometimes I laugh and ask them to choose because there's so many questions or choices, but they always make sure I get the choice.”

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 care that was timely and tailored to them, which was corroborated by monitoring records which showed people received care at the time of their preference. This allowed them to plan ahead knowing care would take place on time, and to take part in other activities and relationships that were meaningful to them, rather than having to wait for staff to arrive. One person told us “Visits are never cancelled. One time a carer wasn't able to attend, and another carer turned up and carried on seamlessly.” Another person added, “They arrive on the dot” and another stated “They are always on time and are very knowledgeable”. Staff were exceptional at ensuring people’s deteriorating or changing needs were acted upon and felt having a smaller team helped them monitor and act upon this. This included making prompt referrals, speaking to family or stepping up increased care provision if people were to become unwell.

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 spoke passionately about the difference that working for Folkestone Home Care had made to their lives, and they were empowered to deliver high-quality care that they took great pride in. They received appropriate training, supervision and appraisals as well as regular checks in to monitor their wellbeing. The registered manager had worked as a carer previously and had a clear vision about the pastoral support that all staff would receive. They told us, “Things I have experienced like no travel time, lack of time to provide care, lack of pastoral care I promised would not be the case here. A lot of staff who work here have come from traumatic background and this is key to our journey and the support we provide.”

Rotas were designed so staff had adequate time to deliver care and travel between visits, as well as flexibility around family and childcare commitments to ensure staff had time to devote to the things that were important to them. For example, one staff member had a partner who regularly worked unusual shift patterns, so their rota was designed to allow them to spend quality time together. One staff member told us, “This is the best care company. The manager really cares for us and the clients, and us. We have guaranteed hours which is a huge piece of mind and allows us to plan ahead. It is really flexible around childcare and the manager does her best to accommodate that, or any personal stresses and needs.” Another staff member told us, “I was dreading coming back into care. I can honestly say I have not only found a good boss, but a good human. I would struggle to work elsewhere. I love my job. The manager goes above and beyond, she genuinely cares. We are not just a number, we are people. It’s changed my perception of what care can be. Care comes first.”