Care Outlook (East Sussex)

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 is the first assessment for this service following a change in provider. 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.

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. Everyone we spoke with and their relatives told us that staff were respectful and treated them kindly and with dignity. Comments included, “Yeah, they are lovely,” “Absolutely they do treat dad with kindness and compassion” and “Yes the staff are very good, very friendly and happy and always make her laugh.” Staff told us they understood how important it was to treat people kindly and to protect their dignity. A staff member said, “We are always respectful. People are treated with dignity and privacy.” Another added, “People are treated with kindness and compassion.” Relatives told us that staff were well matched to their loved ones, they got to know them well and a rapport was established.

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 preferred routines were respected including the times of day they liked to get dressed, when and what they liked to eat and if they had any cultural or religious observance that was important to them. Staff know about these preferences and life choices and provided care and support that was appropriate and which fitted in with people’s daily routines. A person told us, “I’m so tuned in with the staff, I find them very supportive.” A relative told us, “Yeah, they are supportive, I went round there and met with the lady in the office to discuss my dad’s care. The staff were talking about dads care so I offered to make them a cup of tea. That’s the relationship I have with the staff.”

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Maintaining independence with tasks and activities was recognised as being important. Care plans described first what people could do for themselves, promoting their independence, before moving on to describe their support needs from others. Staff told us how they encouraged and supported people to achieve tasks for themselves within the limits of safety. One said, “Yes, it’s important. Sometime I explain that I’m there too.” Another staff member added, “I have a couple of clients one who likes to button their own shirt and the other does some personal care themselves. I’ll always encourage.” The registered manager told us they understood the challenges for some people who were making the transition from being totally independent to then requiring some support. They said, “One client has lived alone for thirty years, independent and will often state they need no help – if this happens we explain what’s happening and reassure them.”

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. In knowing people well, staff understood the significance of small changes in mood and behaviour and were able to address this by speaking with people to understand and act upon any concerns they may have. Staff then took appropriate actions to support people, reflecting their wishes or concerns and involving other staff, managers or professionals if needed to make them comfortable both physically and mentally.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. There was a twenty four hour, seven day a week, on call set up so staff always had access to direct advice from a manager. We heard a staff member call the office during out visit, for advice. Support for the staff member was given in a friendly, calm way which helped resolve the issue quickly. The registered manager operated an ‘open door’ policy and staff were encouraged to attend then office whenever they needed support. Staff told us that the registered manager was supportive and understanding to their needs and were able to accommodate unexpected, short notice, leave requests following family emergencies. Staff wellbeing policies were in place and were followed by managers to make sure that staff received the welfare and professional support needed. A member of staff said, “Managers are approachable, can share anything. They are understanding.”