Fen Homecare

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

People were generally treated with dignity and respect, and staff showed kindness with those they supported. However, some people reported inconsistencies in care quality and concerns about language barriers affecting communication. While most staff were compassionate and supportive, some were rushed due to workload pressures. Care plans were not always person-centred or detailed enough, but a consultant was working to improve them. People were supported to maintain independence and make choices. Staff felt positive about the support they received from management.

This service scored 60 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People were ususally treated with dignity and respect by the staff who supported them. One relative told us that the care provided varied, they stated “The good ones will stay and chat with mother but the bad ones will want to get in and out in 5 or 10 minutes”.

Staff spoke about people with fondness, and they knew people well. They understood the need to treat people with kindness. One staff member told us, “I do this job because my family member needed carers. I saw how much it means to have somebody especially when you don’t have family, the only person opening your door is the carer, you see the smile on their face it motivates me to do the job".

We did not receive any feedback from external health and social care professionals regarding kindness, compassion and dignity.

People usually received care and support that was personal to them. However, people did raise issues about a language barrier with some staff. One person told us “[Staff] chat to each other in their own language sometimes.” Another person told us, “There’s obvious problems with the language sometimes and that can make life difficult. It’s a case of rubbing along.” One person told us staff were willing to do things for them, but they didn’t always understand what they were saying. One relative told us, “Yes, they know what they’re supposed to do and do their best to chat with [family member]. They are compassionate people.” Another relative told us, “Carers aren’t deliberately uncaring or trying to manhandle [family member] roughly but it’s a result of too many calls and they rush because they’re late."

The provider told us they had raised the issue of staff talking in their first language whilst supporting people during staff meetings. Staff knew people well and what was important to them. They took time to get to know people and the people who were important to them. The registered manager and staff told us information for people could be produced in accessible formats for them such as large print or audio versions.

Not all care plans were person centred and provided staff with all the information they required. A consultant was employed during the assessment and was updating the care plans so that they were more detailed and specific to each person.

People were supported to maintain their independence and make choices. One person told us, “They’re helpful when they know what I’m talking about. Regular staff know me and if I look in pain they ask me if I want 2 paracetamol.”

Staff knew people well and what they could do for themselves and what they needed support with.

Some but not all people had care plans that contain information about the important people in their lives, their social history, hobbies and interests. A consultant had been employed and was ensuring that the information was available about all people.

People were supported by a small staff team who were aware of their needs. One relative told us, “Yes, they understand [family member] really well. The majority of the carers are really nice, they know what they want and how to treat them”.

Staff told us they were allocated sufficient time to meet people’s needs without rushing them. They knew people and their relatives well and were able to recognise when a person maybe unwell or need medical attention.

Staff were positive about the support they received. A member of staff said told us, “If you have a problem you can go to [the management team] because every time they can find a solution - if you have a problem they understand you."

Staff were supported through one-to-one supervisions, spot checks, mobile telephone chat group and staff meetings. Staff told us they could contact the registered manager at any time.