Angel Care North Ltd

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 service met people’s needs. At the last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The management team and staff were exceptional at making sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices. Care was highly personalised and staff consistently supported people to have choice, control and independence. People experienced care which reflected who they were, what mattered to them, and how they wished to be supported. Relatives said people had developed strong and trusting relationships with small, consistent staff teams. A relative described how support enabled their family members to maintain independence, exercise and access the community. A relative said, “Great rapport has been built over the years within [person’s name] team. They are all knowledgeable about [person’s name] needs and they take such good care of [person’s name].”

Staff demonstrated a strong ethos of dignity, empathy and individualised care, and people’s daily routines and preferences meaningfully shaped how support was delivered. For example, staff had supported 1 person explore the benefits of their relationship with a group of friends and establish if these helped or hindered them. Following this they completely altered the course of their life and now lead a much more enriched lifestyle, and a truly personalised home environment.

People and their relatives told us that staff really knew people. Staff adapted their practices to meet each person’s needs. For example, 1 person was quite isolated, so the registered manager invited their relative to join them for lunch every week. The person told us this made ‘an immense’ difference to them, and they ‘loved the opportunity to spend time chatting’ as it was easier talking to their relatives. Staff spoke warmly about people, including the small details that helped them feel known and valued, such as preferred clothing routines, daily habits, and how people liked to relax. Relatives consistently described staff as kind, caring and responsive, saying the team “knew [my relative] really well” and that people looked settled, comfortable and at ease within the home. Staff supported people in a non-judgmental way and experienced very positive outcomes.

Staff 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 benefited from consistent staff teams who knew their needs. Relatives particularly valued this continuity. A relative described how a small, consistent staff team knew their loved one well while providing continuity during staff holidays or sickness. Staff advocated for people when they needed additional support. Staff were proactive when people’s health changed, making timely contact with health and social care professionals when needed.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People received appropriate and accurate information tailored to their needs. This included offering larger print and verbally explaining documents to a person with visual impairments and giving them the option of having a representative present. For people with hearing impairments, information was provided in writing and staff communicated face-to-face to support lip reading. People and relatives also described good day-to-day communication. They were informed about delays and felt able to contact the service to discuss issues.

The management team enabled people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas. People told us they felt able to express their opinions and that staff took their preferences seriously, and they felt involved in care planning. They felt comfortable discussing any aspects of the running of the service with staff. A relative said, “There is nothing, in my opinion, that they could improve on. I have worked with other services on my sister’s behalf over many years and have never felt so assured and confident that she is receiving the best support she could.”

Staff made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. They understood people’s individual health needs and worked proactively with external professionals when specialist input was required. The provider worked with services including occupational therapy, speech and language professionals, district nurses, social workers, specialist learning disability services and other healthcare professionals.

The management team and staff 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. Staff identified and responded when people experienced barriers to maintaining independence or accessing their community. For example, they responded promptly when people experienced falls or deteriorating mobility by obtaining professional assessment and equipment. Regular staff teams supported people with learning disabilities, and this provided continuity and routine. Individual communication methods included signs and visual tools. Staff supported people to maintain independence and participate in their communities.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future. Staff supported people to prepare for life changes, including discharge and end-of-life care. Staff described seeking additional professional support, equipment and care time where changing circumstances meant existing arrangements no longer fully met a person’s needs. People reported staff were very capable at supporting them to plan for the future. Planning was proactive and holistic. Professionals described the service as forward‑thinking, particularly when anticipating people’s needs and providing support towards end‑of‑life.