Best2 Care Ltd – Gravesend Office

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 did not always work in partnership with people, to decide how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Care plans contained information about people’s assessed needs and provided staff with guidance on how to support their mental health, physical health and personal care needs. However, we found care records did not always include information about people’s life histories, backgrounds, education, previous occupations, significant relationships and personal experiences. This meant new staff may not always have sufficient information to fully understand the person beyond their care needs.

People and relatives consistently told us staff knew them well and provided personalised support. They described having a regular and consistent team of carers, which helped build trusting relationships and ensured staff understood their individual needs, preferences and routines. Staff we spoke with demonstrated a good understanding of people’s interests, choices and day-to-day routines. Care records also showed staff adapted their support in response to people’s changing wellbeing and preferences.

One person told us, “I have severe mental health problems and require round-the-clock care. I have a team of four carers who rotate, and I get on with them all. We have a very close relationship, and they understand my needs and support me.” This reflected the positive and personalised relationships people had developed with staff who knew them well.

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 relatives valued the continuity of care provided by regular staff who knew them well.

Staff worked with people, relatives and external professionals to provide support that met people’s care and support needs. A relative told us their loved one required “Lots of prompting and patience,” adding that carers understood the importance of working at their pace and providing reliable support. People were also supported to access their local community and participate in activities that were important to them.

People and relatives spoke positively about the care provided and told us staff knew them well. They consistently highlighted the benefits of receiving support from a small, regular team of carers. . A relative said staff understood their loved one’s needs, boundaries and routines, and described staff as patient and reliable.

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

The provider told us information could be provided in different formats to meet people's individual communication needs, and systems were available to support accessible communication where required.

People's communication needs were discussed and assessed before care commenced and formed part of the assessment process. Care plans included guidance for staff about how best to communicate with people and ensure they were involved in decisions about their care.

For example, staff supported 1 person who communicated non-verbally. Records described how the person used gestures, body movements and other non-verbal cues to express themselves. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of these communication methods and knew how to recognise and respond to the person's wishes, preferences and wellbeing.

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.

People and relatives told us they felt comfortable raising concerns with staff and management. A person said, “I have not had any reasons to raise any concerns. If I did, I would contact the office. The office staff are very good and always pass on any messages.” A relative told us, “I have never had a need to raise any complaints. If that occasion ever arose, I would speak to the registered manager as they are very easy to talk to, supportive and care.”

The provider sought feedback through regular reviews and spot-check visits, which gave people and their relatives opportunities to share their views about the quality of the service, discuss any concerns and contribute to decisions about their care and support.

Records showed concerns and complaints were reported, logged, investigated and responded to appropriately. The provider maintained oversight of complaints to ensure actions were taken and outcomes were communicated where required. Lessons learned from complaints and concerns were shared with staff to promote learning and support continuous improvement in the quality of care provided.

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

People and their relatives told us they knew who to contact if they needed additional support or wanted changes made to their care arrangements. They described the service as flexible and responsive to their needs. A person told us, “I have made some changes to my care as well as increasing the visits in the day. I have also changed the times of my morning call. I discussed it with the carer who contacted the office and we agreed the call would be an hour later, which has worked out a lot better for both of us.”

People and relatives were confident that requests for support would be acted upon and that staff and managers were accessible when needed.

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.

People received a service user guide which provided information about the service, the support available and their rights. Assessments and care planning considered people's individual circumstances, needs and desired outcomes to ensure support was personalised and accessible.

Regular care reviews were used to ensure the care people received continued to meet their needs and achieve the outcomes that were important to them. People and, where appropriate, their relatives were involved in these discussions and given opportunities to provide feedback on the support they received.

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.

At the time of our assessment, the service was not supporting anyone who was receiving end-of-life care. However, the provider discussed people's future wishes and preferences as part of the assessment and care planning process, helping to ensure people had opportunities to express their views about their future care.

The provider recognised that people's needs may change over time and worked with people, relatives and professionals to plan for these changes. Where people developed specific health needs, the provider told us staff would receive additional training tailored to the person's needs to ensure they could continue to provide safe and appropriate support.