Dawn To Dusk Care Services Limited

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• 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 Outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained 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.

There was an exceptionally strong and embedded culture of kindness, compassion and respect throughout the service. The provider prioritised careful staff matching and continuity of care, which enabled staff to develop exceptional, trusted relationships with people, based on a deep understanding of what mattered to them. This resulted in highly personalised support that consistently went beyond routine care tasks, making people feel valued, respected and genuinely cared for. For example, when one person’s washing machine broke, with the provider and person's agreement, a staff member took the person's washing home each week to ensure their laundry needs were met.

People and relatives were overwhelmingly positive about staff and described relationships characterised by warmth, trust and familiarity. People’s privacy, dignity, choices and individuality were consistently respected. One person told us, “The carers are absolutely lovely. They respect my choices about how I want my care provided. I have a good relationship with the carers and I have got to know them well.”

Relatives described exceptionally close and trusted relationships between people and their regular carers. One relative said, “My [family member] absolutely adores their main carer. {Family member] sees [carer] more as a friend than simply as a carer.” Another told us, “The carers really are the best [family member] could get and are genuinely caring. I used to provide much of my [family member’s] care myself, so being able to trust somebody else with them is very important to me.” The strength of these relationships had a significant positive impact, with people looking forward to staff visits and relatives having confidence and reassurance that their family members were cared for by people who knew and valued them.

Staff’s compassion extended beyond the person receiving care. They recognised the wider emotional and social impact of caring situations and supported those important to people. We saw examples of the service going above and beyond for relatives and carers as well as the person themselves. One relative told us, “They don’t just focus on my [family member] when they visit. They take the time to talk to [family member’s spouse] as well… They make both of my parents feel that somebody is looking out for them.” This demonstrated an exceptional culture in which kindness and compassion were integral to how staff worked, extending beyond people’s immediate care needs to positively influence the wellbeing and experience of those closest to them.

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.

Staff were exceptional in understanding what mattered most to people and went above and beyond to ensure care was flexible, responsive and genuinely personalised around people’s lifestyles. People and relatives consistently described staff fitting care around individual preferences and routines rather than expecting people to conform to the needs of the service. For example, one person preferred to get up later in the day and their relative told us, “They don’t force [family member] into an early morning routine just because it would be more convenient for the service.” Another person said, “The service responds to my individual preferences rather than expecting me to fit around a set way of doing things.”

There were exceptional examples of staff recognising and responding to what mattered to people as individuals. The provider instilled a culture whereby staff took action beyond routine care responsibilities to resolve practical issues that had a meaningful impact on people’s independence, communication and wellbeing. This included helping a person set up their mobile phone as they had no landline, arranging the repair and return of another person’s hearing aids, and bringing in specialist equipment to clean a person’s windows and frames inside and out.

These examples demonstrated a deeply person-centred approach in which staff knew people exceptionally well, respected their individuality and took thoughtful action beyond routine care. People’s preferences actively shaped how support was delivered, enabling them to maintain their chosen lifestyles, independence and wellbeing rather than fitting around the service.

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

Staff had a strong understanding of people’s individual abilities and actively enabled them to do as much as possible for themselves, providing support only where it was needed. Their approach was flexible and adapted to people’s preferences, ensuring people remained firmly in control of how their care was provided.

People consistently described staff promoting independence, choice and control. One person said, “The carers support me without taking over the things I can manage myself. The carers respect my choices about how I want my care provided.” Another person told us, “The carers encourage me to remain as independent as possible. They help me with the things I cannot manage independently while allowing me to do what I can for myself.” A relative reinforced this, telling us, “[Staff] don’t simply take over; they support [family member] to retain as much independence as possible.”

This commitment to maximising independence was embedded in everyday practice, with people supported to exercise meaningful choice and control over meals, medicines, daily routines and how their personal care was delivered. As a result, people retained autonomy over their lives and received support which built on their strengths rather than creating dependence.

The provider was exceptional in recognising and responding to people’s immediate needs, wishes and circumstances. Staff acted quickly and proactively to prevent distress and provide reassurance, adapting support beyond planned care when people’s circumstances unexpectedly changed.

For example, when a relative was unexpectedly admitted to hospital for several days, the service immediately increased support for their family member. They provided overnight support, additional care calls and home-cooked meals, while also taking essential items to the relative in hospital. This ensured the person continued to receive consistent, personalised care at a time of significant disruption and provided reassurance to their relative. The relative said, “They stepped in and took over his care when I couldn’t be there. I didn’t have to ask them. They cared about how I was doing as well as making sure my [family member] was looked after.”

The provider demonstrated an exceptional commitment to staff wellbeing and created a highly supportive culture which enabled staff to consistently deliver high-quality, person-centred care. Staff felt valued, confident and exceptionally well supported, both professionally and personally. One staff member said, “The manager keeps us well informed and checks we’re okay. We get lots of support which is lovely.” Another described how the manager had taken time to support them through personal difficulties, saying, “I’ve never had such good support.”

Staff wellbeing and work-life balance were actively promoted, alongside regular supervision, open communication and opportunities for learning and reflection. Staff were encouraged to contribute ideas and felt listened to and empowered in their roles. Recent staff surveys were unanimously positive about working at the service and the support staff received.

The provider went beyond formal support arrangements to create a strong sense of belonging and appreciation. They invested personally in staff recognition and team wellbeing, including funding social events, retirement celebrations and informal gestures such as providing meals or flowers. This inclusive and supportive approach contributed to a positive, cohesive workforce where staff felt genuinely valued and enabled to provide consistently personalised care.