The Caring Hands

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 changed to Outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

People were treated with exceptional kindness, empathy and compassion. Staff treated people as individuals and made sure their care and support fully met their individual needs in line with their preferences. People’s independence was fully encouraged and promoted ensuring they had choice and control over their care and support. Staff reflected pride in their work, and they talked about people with passion and commitment. The support and wellbeing of staff was exceptional and fully enabled them to always deliver person centered care.

This service scored 95 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff were exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. People and relatives told us the support and treatment provided was outstanding and that staff were kind and often supported them above expectations. One person said, “They do more than they’ve been asked to. I have 1 carer who cooks me a lovely English breakfast which does take them a little bit over their time.” Another person commented, “I value their help tremendously.”

We saw numerous examples of where staff had gone over and above their roles to ensure people received the support they needed. For example, 1 staff member took their puppy to visit a person they were supporting because they had asked to see the puppy and wanted a cuddle. Another staff member regularly walked a person’s dog in their own time when the person was unable to do so. When 1 person had a power cut and couldn’t use their microwave oven the staff member ran out to get them a fish and chip supper. Another staff member took time out of their day to visit a person they supported to paint their nails.

One person went into hospital unexpectedly and the provider promised the person their dog would be looked after while they were in hospital. Once the person knew their dog would be cared for they felt happy enough to allow paramedics to take them for treatment. This occurred on 3 different occasions, each time the same staff member took care of the persons dog to ensure they went into hospital for treatment.

Two staff members visited a person living with dementia in their own time on their birthday, purchasing a birthday gift personally which was something close to their heart. Another person had been housebound for over a year and had lost their social network due to injury. One of the persons wishes was to take part in a pastime they used to really enjoy. The staff organised this for the person which improved their mental wellbeing and self-esteem.

On 1 occasion the provider paid their staff; but did not charge the person using the service; to take them out to a local park with their dog. On arrival the person saw that the provider had organised for all of their friends and their dogs, who they used to walk with, to surprise them at the park. Feedback from the persons family read, “Our heartfelt thanks for caring for [family member] so wonderfully with tenderness, thoughtfulness and compassion. [Family member] couldn’t have been in better hands. Special thanks to [staff] for arranging for them to go to [local park], a lasting memory for [family member] and us. [Family member] loved it!”

Other examples of when staff went over and above included a staff member going to the library in their own time to get library books for a person they supported who wasn’t able to get to the library due to mobility difficulties. This had a positive impact on the person as reading was something they described as their ‘escapism’.

The staff were encouraged to go above and beyond for people. One person rarely went out due to a health condition but were planning to go and visit family. They wanted to look and feel special, so the staff member went to their house to do their hair and make-up. This helped to improve the persons quality of life as they felt confident when going out. As the persons condition had advanced this had been included as a daily task in their care plan

Feedback from health and social care professionals was very positive. One said, “I find the care team professional, caring and compassionate and their care is always person centred. The team are always very professional and build very good relationships with those they are supporting, often going over and above. The care team are always very happy and the feedback I have received from patients they are supporting is always very positive, especially when they are dealing with life limiting complex conditions."

People told us that without any exceptions all staff treated them as individuals and said their care had been discussed with them and delivered in line with their preferences. For example, staff were supporting 1 person with a life limiting condition. They were working collaboratively with the person and health professionals involved in the persons care to ensure they had access to assistive technologies they could benefit from. As the persons condition has progressed staff had supported them to find and purchase various adaptive kitchen tools and personal care tools, which allowed the person to manage their daily routines with more autonomy. This control over their cared boosted their confidence and gave them a greater sense of ownership over their well-being.

When it was a person’s birthday the provider purchased balloons and a cake and visited to sing happy birthday. When 1 person had a special birthday, the provider gave all staff gaps in their rota to go over and have cake with the person. Their relative was with them all day and staff played the music that the person loved. They did their hair and make up to make them feel special. Neighbours were also invited as the person used to have street gatherings with the neighbours before experiencing difficulties going out.

Staff took a personalised approach by focusing on people’s strengths, such as their love for music or crafting, and incorporated this into their care plan, arranging for regular creative activities and supporting them to attend music events. For example, staff supported 3 people to attend a local choir in their own time because of their love of music. This meant people felt their diversity was respected, and they were valued for who they were increasing their overall well-being and happiness.

One person had a wish to travel back to the city where they were born and had lived for many years before their dementia progressed. The provider and staff arranged for this to happen and drove them to the city of their birth where they enjoyed pie and mash in their favourite pie and mash shop. The person enjoyed their trip down memory lane and recalled many memories from their childhood and young adult life.

The provider regularly organised mobile hairdressers for people who found it difficult to leave their home. One person commented about this and said, “This has made me feel so much better. I felt like I started to lose my identity but having my hair done like this makes me feel like me.”

Staff had visited people who had gone into hospices to support the family with things that were important to the person at the end of their lives. This meant a lot to people’s relatives and staff stayed to support them after their loved ones passed away.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. One person told us, “If I do move around, the carers are at my side or behind me. They know I don’t want my independence taken away from me. They are not domineering they’re just there, which is lovely.” Another said, “I must give a 100% rating to the carers helping me gain more independence. Before, I was gradually subsiding into quite a helpless person, but the carers have put quite a shine on my life now. I do much more for myself now.” A relative commented, “The carers have helped [family member] to get back some independence. They have been able to reduce their visits from 4 to 2 and [family member] now makes their own meals.”

People’s care plans included a choice of activities, from social outings to indoor hobbies, and people were encouraged to make decisions about their care preferences during regular reviews. Some people used the service for social purposes, and they were encouraged to make their own decisions about the activities they did with staff. This meant people experienced greater independence, as they were empowered to make decisions about their own care, treatment, and lifestyle.

Care plans focused on what people could do well and what support they needed from staff. Staff met with people, their relatives and other external professionals to discuss their support and any changes required. People were constantly encouraged and supported to express their views regarding the way they received care and support, as well as anything else they wished for.

Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. For example the management and staff team supported a person to stay in a local care home overnight during a flooding incident in their home. They stayed with the person and their relative until late at night to make sure the person was safely and happily settled for the night at the local care home. The persons family commented, “That act of kindness has restored our faith in humanity.”

The provider worked with several people living with dementia and staff were quick to respond to a person’s changing needs swiftly. For example, 1 staff member noticed that a person living with dementia was becoming anxious and confused during their daily wash. Instead of following the usual routine, the staff member immediately adjusted their approach by getting the person engaged with looking at a photo album and using gentle reassurances. This meant the persons immediate discomfort was alleviated, reducing the level of distress and preventing escalation into more significant anxiety.

A staff member visited a person they had been supporting in hospital, who whose condition was deteriorating. They did this in their own tome. They made sure the person had lots of fluids and provided comfort and reassurance. When the person recognised the staff member they perked up. The staff member did this on numerous occasions while the person was in hospital, and they made a full recovery and were able to go home. Comments from the persons family read, “If it wasn’t for staff at The Caring Hands our [family member] would have likely not been able to come home.”

Staff and the management team also liaised with family members to gather more information about what typically comforted a people. This had proved particularly useful for 1 person who needed to have familiar staff on each visit due their anxiety levels. By responding quickly and sensitively to the person’s emotional state, the person felt heard and safe, which contributed to a reduction in anxiety.

The provider had recently put in place double visits quickly for a person living with a debilitating condition due to their sudden declining mobility. The meant the persons immediate discomfort was alleviated and reduced their level of distress.

We received feedback from a health professional involved in people’s care. They commented, “The staff team are quick to respond to any changes and seek advice/ support from professionals to ensure they are providing the highest standard of care as well as the safest. They will seek additional training where required to ensure their skills are up to date.”

The provider always cared about the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff sometimes had unexpected costs which they had found difficult. For example, 1 staff member had a very large, unexpected bill which would have left them in difficulty. The provider supported them with this eased the pressure from them.

The provider had purchased cars for staff where their current cars had not been fit for purpose. This had enabled the staff members to continue working and travelling to people’s care calls, whilst also taking the stress away from the staff member in terms of cost of buying a car.

On Christmas Day 2024, the provider cooked a Christmas dinner for people with no family and for the staff who were working on Christmas day. The dinners were delivered to a person house where the staff sat and ate their dinner with them; a person who didn’t have any family visiting.

There was a dedicated management team that checked in with staff regularly via spot checks, field supervisions and office supervisions to ensure they were managing their workloads and checking on their general wellbeing. Additionally, there was a culture of recognition where staff were regularly celebrated for their hard work and commitment with a ‘carer of the month’ award ), making sure they felt supported and valued. Positive feedback for staff was shared openly with the team. At the end of every year the provider also booked and paid for the entire team to have a Christmas meal together.

Staff were listened to and the provider acted on their concerns. For example, when staff asked for a person to be reassessed for particular equipment, the provider acted immediately and made referrals to the relevant health professionals. This improved morale and well-being of staff which directly benefited the quality of care that people received because staff were more focused, engaged, and motivated.