DaVita (UK) Ltd - North Poole

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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

This means we looked for evidence that the service 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 remained good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect and involved as partners in their care.

We have not awarded this service a score for Caring.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Caring.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

Patients were consistently treated with kindness, compassion and dignity by staff who demonstrated a caring and respectful approach. We observed positive and supportive interactions between staff and patients. Despite a busy environment, staff remained calm, attentive and professional, interacting with patients in a way that met their needs.

Staff understood that people experienced dialysis differently and respected individual choices about how they wished to spend their treatment time. Some patients chose to interact with staff and other patients, while others preferred quieter activities such as watching television, reading or listening to music. Feedback from a visitor described staff as sensitive to people’s individual preferences and respectful of their differences.

Patients spoke positively about the care they received. Comments included: “The nurses are great; they look after you”, “Staff are nice and caring” and “All lovely staff and kind.” A regular visitor told us they had always been made to feel welcome and valued which meant they looked forward to visiting. This feedback reflected a culture where patients and visitors were treated with respect and dignity creating a positive and supportive environment.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

Patients were treated as individuals with staff recognising and responding to their personal circumstances and preferences. Staff understood that patients receiving dialysis had different levels of independence and support needs. For example, some patients attended the clinic with care workers who provided additional assistance due to their disability.

We observed staff engaging with people in a personalised and responsive way, taking account of their lives beyond dialysis treatment. For example, staff responded positively, and flexibly, to patients’ requests to make changes to their dialysis sessions because of personal commitments. This approach reflected staff’s understanding of what was important to people.

Staff recognised that people’s needs varied according to factors such as age, disability and personal circumstances such as availability of family support. Patients were listened to, respected and enabled to make choices about their care and treatment.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.

Patients were supported to maintain as much independence, choice and control as possible over their care and treatment. The service had recently introduced a shared care approach for patients who wished to take a more active role in managing their dialysis treatment. Following assessment, some patients were carrying out tasks such as recording their weight and blood pressure, responding to machine alarms and applying pressure to their access site following treatment. This approach enabled patients to develop skills, independence and control over their care in a safe and supported way.

Patients told us they felt involved in decisions about their treatment and their views and preferences were respected. One patient said they felt consulted about their care and sessions were arranged to suit their needs. Another told us their preference for evening dialysis sessions had been accommodated because they had activities they wanted to do during the day. This flexibility helped patients balance treatment demands with other aspects of their lives and ensured they retained as much choice as possible over how and when care was delivered.

The service promoted patients’ choice by providing information about a home dialysis discovery event. This aimed to improve access to home dialysis options which could offer greater lifestyle flexibility. Patients were supported to consider the dialysis option that best met their individual needs and circumstances. For example, one patient told us they had previously tried home dialysis but had resumed treatment at the clinic because it suited them better.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service 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.

Patients’ immediate needs were recognised and responded to promptly ensuring they received timely support. We observed staff being attentive and responsive throughout treatment sessions. Staff responded quickly to patients calling out, call bells and alarms from dialysis machines which promoted people’s safety, comfort and wellbeing.

Feedback from a visitor described how staff prioritised patients’ requests for assistance and responded straight away to call bells or patients calling out. We also observed staff being alert to non-verbal cues and changes in people’s presentation checking on them promptly to assess whether additional support was required.

Records showed that staff responded to patients who were feeling unwell. They assessed patients’ needs and provided treatment to address immediate health concerns and reduce the risk of deterioration.

Staff acted promptly when concerns arose about patients’ safety and wellbeing away from the clinic. For example, when a patient disclosed they felt unsafe in the community, staff took immediate action to refer them to support services. This helped ensure their concerns were recognised and responded to in a timely way promoting their wellbeing beyond their immediate physical health needs.

The evidence showed a good standard. The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported staff to develop in their roles.

The service promoted workforce wellbeing and created an environment where staff felt supported and valued. Staff consistently provided positive feedback about their experience of working in the service, highlighting strong teamwork, supportive colleagues and approachable leadership. Comments included: “I like working here. Good support here. Good line manager. I go to them for support”, “The team work very well together...there’s a lot of support” and “Staff are very friendly and supportive and we support each other.” Staff described a strong sense of team unity in which they worked together to provide care for patients and felt passionate about their role.

Staff spoke positively about the support they received from managers to maintain their wellbeing and work-life balance. For example, staff described how managers had accommodated changes to working hours to meet their personal circumstances and made reasonable adjustments about their health. This personalised support enabled staff to remain engaged in their roles and demonstrated the provider’s commitment to supporting their workforce.

The service fostered a positive and inclusive workplace culture where staff felt recognised and valued. Staff described how team relationships and recognition, such as celebrating birthdays and other milestones, contributed to their sense of belonging. The service further demonstrated commitment to staff through the allocation of a yearly engagement budget, which supported initiatives designed to strengthen team wellbeing.

Staff had access to a range of health and wellbeing resources which supported their physical, emotional and financial wellbeing. These included occupational health services, an employee assistance programme offering confidential advice and support, an electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme and access to retail discounts. This reflected a holistic approach to workforce wellbeing, recognising the importance of supporting staff across all aspects of their health, welfare and quality of life.