Helping Hands Northallerton

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 service met people’s needs. This is the first inspection for this service. This key question has been rated 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 service made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment and choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. People’s care plans reflected their physical, mental, emotional and social needs. People were asked about their protected characteristics and any additional needs. Where people did not wish to discuss these needs their wishes were respected. Detailed information about people’s life histories, social preferences and what was important to them were all contained in their care plans. This enabled staff to provide person centred care. For example, one care plan directed staff to ‘tidy everything away, have a little chat to my wife’, and another for staff to ‘please greet us both and find out what sort of day we’re having’. A staff member explained, “Everyone is individual. Making sure we are doing things how they want them done. How they get dressed, how they want their cup of coffee. Completing tasks in the way that they would have done them if they could.” Another person’s needs had changed over time and the service identified the importance to that person of maintaining their social connections. Support plans were changed to accommodate this. For another person it was religiously important to them to attend services, so support times were altered to ensure they were supported ready to attend services when they were able and altered to suit family needs when they were not able to attend. One person told us, “I ask for a female carer and that’s what I get.”

The service 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 received support which was flexible and supported their continuity of care. People with protected characteristics received support personal and appropriate to them.

The service supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People’s communication needs were known and understood. People received information in the most appropriate way for them. People were kept informed, and reminders issued, for example, about how to raise any concerns or complaints. People’s comments included, “I do get a rota. [Name of staff member] is brilliant and does let us know of changes when she is working”, “I am informed if they are going to be late. I know what staff are coming” and “[Name of staff member] is great. She always tells me who is coming and when. We aren’t always informed if the carers are going to be late. This could be improved.” The registered manager told us they had recently made changes to how people were kept informed of changes in people’s rotas.

The service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. People and their relatives were kept informed about how to give feedback. Regular surveys were undertaken and the results analysed. These were shared with people, relatives and staff, showing, for example, what the results were from previous years, what the current year’s results were and what actions had been identified as a result. A staff member told us, “We speak to the customer and explain how to inform the office.”

The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People had equity in accessing the support they received.

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 had equity in experience and outcomes from 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. People’s wishes and ambitions for the future were understood and acknowledged. People were supported to achieve these. For one person it was important to them about where they died, because of the memories they had of that place. This was clearly recorded and understood by staff.