South West Care Group LTD T/A Goodoaks Homecare East Dorset

On this page

• 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 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.
 

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We received consistently positive feedback from people about the staff. People and relatives described staff as, “All very caring and patient”, “Really friendly and caring” and “Pleasant, engaging, hardworking”. A relative told us, “My [family member] is always telling me how nice they are. I have met one or two of them when I have visited my [family member] who have come across as very able and professional”.
 

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

People’s care plans incorporated detailed information about their interests and things which were important to them. This included finer details such as their favourite music to listen to reduce anxiety during personal care, or a favourite item to hold to calm them down.

Staff told us people’s care plans were easy to understand and held information they needed to support the person to meet their needs.
People and their relatives felt staff understood their individual needs and preferences. A relative told us, “Carers are good at engaging [family member] in conversations about [family member’] interests”.
 

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

Staff ensured people’s independence and choice were promoted. Care plans included information about how to support people in a way that reflected their choices and promoted independence where possible. A staff member told us, “Our aim for clients is to provide care and extra support for the individual to remain in their own home. Respecting the choices they make. Show patience and respect when an individual chooses to dress themselves offering support if needed. Supporting them to make their own decisions”.
People and relatives confirmed they had as much choice and control as possible in their lives. Comments included, “They encourage [family member] to do things for themself - and patiently watch [family member] doing them when it would probably be quicker to do them for [family member]”.
 

The provider 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.

Staff recognised different ways in which each individual may be communicating discomfort, pain or distress, including both verbal and non-verbal cues. For example, we reviewed a care plan for 1 person which stated “If I am unhappy with a decision or choice, I may communicate this through my body language and facial expression's. Please be attentive to these cues, take time to observe and interpret them, and respond appropriately by offering reassurance, reviewing options, or adjusting support where possible”.
Feedback from people and relatives confirmed staff were able to quickly recognise when people needed urgent help or support and acted accordingly. A relative told us, “When [family member] had fallen, the member of staff rang the ambulance, rang me to keep me updated, and stayed with [family member] until the paramedics came.
 

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

We received mainly positive feedback from staff about support they had from the management. Majority of staff reported they felt valued and were treated in a manner that supported their wellbeing. One staff member told us, “I have been made very welcome at Good Oaks, and feel very supported”. Another said, “I feel appreciated and valued in my role. Management shows this by always being available for support, listening to my feedback, encouraging my development, and recognising the work we all do”.
Staff had access to handbooks, which included information on common questions, common health conditions and ‘what to do if’ scenarios to support staff within their roles. It also included general employment guidance including annual leave, and wellbeing.