Freedom Care 24/7 Ltd

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 service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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.

People felt supported by staff who were kind, compassionate and maintained their dignity. Relatives told us, “The management and the care workers are very good. Very caring and very kind,” “They have always come across as being very kind,” and “They always knock before they go in and introduce themselves.”

Staff spoke about people they supported compassionately and with kindness. One member of staff told us, “I don’t just go to do my work I build up trust with them and I want them to know how caring I am.” Care workers emphasised people’s choice and maintaining their dignity when receiving care. A member of staff told us, “I maintain their dignity and their choice and have a private environment.” The management team undertook quality checks which included reviewing interactions between staff and people, and ensuring people’s privacy and dignity was maintained whilst being supported with personal care.

Partner agencies felt they were unable to comment on the arrangements in place regarding kindness, compassion and dignity.

People felt included and in charge of their care. They told us, “[The staff] include [their family member] in her care,” “[Their family member] says what they want and when.” People’s cultures and religious preferences were acknowledged and respected. A relative told us, “[My family member] does her morning rituals and the care workers support her with them. They help prepare a plate of offerings. They leave her to do her prayers and then come back to support.”

Staff treated people respectfully and provided support based on their individual preferences. Comments from care workers included, “People have their own culture and I need to respect them.”, and “Some people are Hindu so we give them choice with what they like. If they like to go temples, then help and support, and give respect to every culture.”

Care records were tailored to the individual and provided specific information about people’s likes, wants and needs. This enabled staff to have the information they required to provide person centred care that treated people as individuals.

People were in control of the level of support provided and were encouraged to be as independent as possible. Relatives told us, “[The staff] help [my family member] with her independence. They don’t take over. They work with her. They are sensitive and empathic,” and “My [family member] dictates exactly what happens.”

Staff supported people to stay as independent as possible. One care worker told us “Promoting independence is very important in our job. For example, people who had a stroke might have difficultly holding a cup, but after many times of holding a cup, they will be able to do this and be independent.” Staff also spoke about the importance of people’s choice. A member of staff said, “They will give you the option they prefer, to have a shower or bath and what soap they will like to use, or the cream they will use…or they will say I will prefer to have this clothing.”

Systems were in place to ensure people were involved in their care and were included in conversations and decisions about how they wished to be supported. This included processes about how to support people to be as independent as possible.

People told us staff were responsive to their needs and provided support as required during their calls. There was flexibility within service delivery and people told us staff would try to accommodate any changes in timings of calls to ensure people’s needs were met. One relative told us, “[The staff] work to our schedule.”

Staff told us they asked people for their views and preferences when they were supporting them. A care worker said, “I am making sure everything like what she needs and wants are followed and follow what she wants to do.” Staff also said they respond to people immediate needs to maintain their comfort. One member of staff told us, “If we are going out for a walk, we need to make sure they have appropriate shoes and clothing. They need to be comfortable feel and warm.” Processes were in place to ensure people received responsive care. This included clear communication systems to ensure any requests for additional support was actioned in a timely manner. Included in people’s care plans was information about people’s wellbeing and mental health, particularly for people who were at risk of or had a history of low mood, so staff could support accordingly.

Staff told us they felt the management team were supportive and cared about their wellbeing, which enabled them to deliver person centred care. One care worker said, “Manager is supportive and if I have any question, I will ask manager and he will reply any time.” Another member of staff told us “He (the manager) is there and listens. If there is a situation that is a little uncomfortable, he will find a situation that is good for you and the client.” The registered manager told us about the support systems they had in place to ensure staff’s wellbeing. They said, “I am always speaking with [my staff] and chatting with them. Checking whether they need any further support. I am always available to receive a call. We would get them to work alongside a more senior member of staff if they needed more confidence.”

Policies were in place to support staff’s wellbeing and recognise the needs of a diverse staff group. Lone working policies were also in place to ensure care staff felt supported when working alone.