Brighter Home Care

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

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People reported staff delivered care that was person‑centred and reflective of their personal preferences, routines, communication needs and life histories. People consistently received care by a core and consistent staff team who knew them well.

People’s care records were accurate and detailed. Key information provided staff with the information they needed to support people in a person-centred manner. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s health and well-being needs and were confident to report any changes in people’s needs.
 

The provider 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 and their relative confirmed they were notified of any changes in people’s needs and were informed if the provider made referrals to health and social care professionals. We received comments such as "[Managers/staff] keep in touch with me if they have any concerns, however small" and "I have one lovely [staff member] that comes to me from Monday to Friday and she would always contact my [relative] if she had any concerns."

The managers explained they constantly monitored staff daily records of the care delivered to people to ensure any concerns were identified and escalated in a timely manner. The provider agreed to review record keeping with staff to ensure people’s daily records accurately demonstrated how they supported people to mitigate known risks for people.
 

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

People’s care records included information about people’s communication needs and any communication aids to assist staff on how best to communicate with people.

Managers confirmed they encourage staff not to have rushed conversations with people who lived with dementia and for staff to use repetition and familiar routines to help people understand and participate in the care being provided.
 

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

Managers said any concerns or complaints were taken seriously and acted to resolve people’s issues and drive improvement. Whilst no one had raised a complaint recently about the service, people and their relatives said they were aware of the provider’s complaints process and were confident in contacting the office to raise any concerns. Feedback was welcomed by the management team and was managed in line with the provider’s comments, suggestions and complaints policy.

People and their relatives said they felt their views were listened to by the managers and confirmed they were given opportunities to share their views and experiences of the care and support they received.
 

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff supported people to access health and social care services and made referrals to specialist teams as required. The management team were available and on call out of office hours if people or staff required emergency support.
 

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.

The provider had an equality and diversity policy in place and had trained staff to promote, respect and understand the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion. The provider gave examples of how they had respected people’s protected characteristics. For example, were possible they had matched people with staff who could speak their preferred language. People’s preferred gender preferences for personal care had been identified as part of people’s initial assessments. People told us this had helped them feel safe and respected during their personal care.
 

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

People were not receiving end of life care during the assessment. Most staff had been trained in end-of-life care to help guide staff on how to support people to express their preferences on end-of-life care. However, there were limited records of discussions around people’s plans for their future care needs, including end‑of‑life care. This would assist staff to know how people wished to be cared for if people’s health declined.