Safe Hands Care & Support Services

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.

Staff were kind, respectful and caring.People told us, “The carers are very good, they’re gentle, they talk to you and they're very friendly”, “The staff are kind and caring. They listen to me” and “The staff are lovely.” Relatives added. “We have a lovely lady [staff member] who comes in the mornings” and “The staff are very sweet and have a laugh and a joke with us. They’re chatting to my [relative] and myself all the time, and they are always asking us how we are.”

People’s privacy and dignity were respected. A relative told us, “The staff do the personal care, we've asked for females which the company have provided. They [staff] are very respectful and make sure that they close doors, that sort of thing, when they're doing the personal care. They [staff] are all very pleasant people.” A staff member commented, “I ensure people’s privacy and dignity is respected. I close doors or curtains [when supporting with personal care] and I explain what I am doing before helping.”

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 individual needs and preferences were assessed prior to their care commencing and these were clearly reflected in the care, treatment and support they received. People’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs were understood and respected. A staff member told us, “I respect service user’s culture and religion. I support them if they want to follow any practices. We even support some service users to go to their church or support to talk part in community activities around this.”

Staff had received training in equality and diversity to emphasise the importance of treating people as unique individuals with different and diverse needs. People and their relatives told us staff took time to speak with people during care visits and communicated effectively. Comments included, “We're very happy with the carers, they're very friendly” and “The staff check everything and they’re aware of my [relative’s] hearing issues. They [staff] make sure they're looking at [relative] when they're talking to them. I think the service we're receiving is very good.”

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

People’s views and decisions about care were incorporated within their care plans. This helped staff to support people in a way that allowed people to have control over their lives and make day-to-day decisions. A person told us, “Staff listen to me.” Relatives added, “[Relative] is able to choose what they want” and “They [staff] do [relative’s] breakfast and tea. They [staff] have a list of what [relative] likes.”

People’s independence was encouraged where possible and care plans reflected this. A person told us, “I have 3 wheelchairs, 1 upstairs and 2 downstairs. [Staff] know how to help me into the wheelchairs and about the house. [Staff] also take me for walks, as I can walk. They [staff] take me from one end of the house to the other”. A staff member commented, “I encourage service users to do what they can [for themselves] safely without causing any harm.”

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.

Care plans included clear instructions for managing health conditions and personal care. Staff monitored changes and communicated with families when needed. People and relatives confirmed staff were responsive and attentive.

The provider had good links with external professionals and requested their support as required. The service supported people to access external health and medical care services as and when required. Staff were aware of the people’s health care needs and how to respond to any health care emergencies.

Rotas were well planned and provided consistency to staff and people who used the service. People told us, “I have a regular lady who is very caring” and “I have mostly the same people [staff]. I've got used to them and they've got used to me.”

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

Staff wellbeing was supported through staff meetings, supervisions and annual appraisals. These meetings gave staff opportunities to discuss best practice as well as their own staff development.

Staff spoke positively about the support they received from management, and they told us they felt supported and valued in their role. Their comments included, “The managers are very fair and supportive. We work well as a team, we communicate and support each other” and “We have good communication and teamwork. The managers are supportive.”