Head Office

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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

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. We saw clear evidence and feedback from people that the service was kind and caring. One person had a history of self-harm. One year into care and support from the provider there had not been any self-harming incidents. This was achieved by talking and listening to the person and providing a safe and nurturing environment. The right support team was developed with the person and trust had been developed and built between the person and their staff team. The person described how they felt to a member of the management team. “[I feel] good, confident and happy. Feelings that I haven’t had before. Staff have helped me love myself. I like feeling good enough to go outside. Thanks to you and my staff for getting me to where I am."

The service treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The service took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. People were supported to set their own goals. One person’s goal was to volunteer and work in a charity shop and their staff team worked with them to achieve this. They initially started with full staff support whilst in the charity shop and they progressed to work independently. The person developed in their role from sorting and organising clothes in the back of the shop to managing the shop floor and tills. This empowered the person and gave them a sense of value. The service provided real development and positive outcomes for people and took account of people's strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service was exceptional at promoting people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Care and support records contained information about people’s support needs and their level of independence. People's advocates and close friends told us about their positive experiences of how staff ensured people were fully involved in important decisions related to their care and maintained their independence. One person's representative told us, “Staff are very patient and respectful. [Person] has choices all the time." Another person’s representative told us, “Staff are very kind and caring from what I’ve observed. They speak to [person] in a calm manner. [Staff] know how to observe and they are not confrontational. [Staff] welcome us into [person’s] property then leave us alone together.” A member of staff told us, “[People] are supported to make informed decisions about their care by providing them with clear information and respecting their preferences. Care plans are individualised and individuals are encouraged to be actively involved in decision-making processes regarding their treatment, care, and overall well-being. We ensure that they understand their options, allowing them to exercise control over their care.”

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. A member of the management team attended all incidents where people had escalated. They provided an immediate assessment of their needs and behavioural management interventions to promote positive outcomes. Direct support was also provided to staff at the time of the incident. The service listened to and involved people in identifying their needs, views and wishes. We saw evidence in people’s care plans and supporting documentation that people were actively involved in their care and support. People were supported in decisions to help make positive life choices such as managing health conditions or making healthier lifestyle choices.

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. An employee assistance programme was in place for staff and access to cognitive behavioural treatment mental health support programme was available to members of people’s staff teams. Staff received focussed supervision and support following incidents. There was a person-centred approach to support for the staff team from a management team who were kind, caring and supportive.