Dial4Care Recruitment Ltd

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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 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 were passionate about their jobs and reflected pride in their work. They talked about people with passion and commitment. The support and wellbeing of staff was exceptional and fully enabled them to always deliver person centred care.

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 provider was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Relatives told us that having the right support from Dial4Care was vital to them and their families. A relative said, “I always worry about[family member] when they are having one of their 'not well moments' because they hit staff and pull their hair. The staff are wonderful and keep [family member] safe and when they have calmed down and apologies the staff are always kind and say don’t worry its fine. It gives me peace of mind knowing [family member] is safe." Another relative told us, "Having the carers takes a lot of pressure off me and gives me peace of mind. If it wasn’t for them, I would not be with my family. They are supportive of me, and we work together. We are a team. They go out of their way to help.”

Staff provided people with very compassionate care, and we saw examples of where staff went over and above their roles. On 1 occasion staff were supporting a young person overnight for the first time and because they were so anxious they urinated in the bed. There was no protective covering on the mattress so the next day, on their way home from their night shift, a member of staff purchased a waterproof mattress cover and a mattress topper to prevent leakage onto the mattress. This meant the young person’s dignity was promoted and they were able to sleep comfortably in a dry bed avoiding a wet mattress and smell of urine.

The management team informed us about a staff member who supported a young person and had developed a good rapport with them. It was the young person’s birthday, and they wanted to visit family members who lived a significant distance away. There was no one available to take the young person so the staff member offered to drive them, which allowed the young person to be able to share their special day with family.

Staff were supporting 1 family with young children who needed regular healthcare appointments. Staff recognised the family needed extra support and they stepped in to assist by coordinating and accompanying the children to their medical and therapy appointments. This was not part of their initial role which was to help out in the home. This had not only provided practical support but also reassured the family they weren’t alone, strengthening the partnership between the staff and the family to ensure the best possible outcomes for the children.

Health and social care professionals praised the staff and the management for the care people received. One told us, “The interactions with the clients from what I have witnessed has been compassionate and empathic.”

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences.

Relatives told us staff knew them and their family members as individuals and supported them in line with their preferences likes and dislikes. One relative told us, “The support we get is overwhelming. [Family member] is the boss and dictates how they want their care. I don’t drive so they will drive me to places with [family member] and pick us up gain. They are so kind. The staff do more than what is expected of them. They go out of their way to help. The staff are very good at picking up if something is not right. They know just how to work with [family member] and are always able to anticipate their needs. The carers recognise the difficulties we have as a family, and they never judge us. They support us come what may.”

Staff fully understood the importance of promoting equality and diversity. Care plans contained information about people's cultural and religious beliefs and their personal relationships with their circle of support.

Staff understood people’s diversity and the importance of cultural sensitivity and personal preferences. They arranged a special outing for a young person to a local café that provided food important to the young person’s culture, ensuring they could enjoy a meal that met their cultural beliefs. This thoughtful gesture ensured the young person’s cultural and religious beliefs were met.

Staff had encouraged and supported 1 young person who was always supervised in the community, to attend their place of worship. They also supported the young person to join in with the Church Youth Group. Attending church was very important to the young person, and staff ensured they were kept safe during the service and able to mix safely with their peers afterwards, with staff supervision. This meant that the person was able to practice their faith and feel part of the church community.

We were informed of an occasion when staff were working in a family home 24/7 and it was Christmas time. The family were asked what their expectations were around eating Christmas dinner; the options being that staff could wait in another room while the family ate, or alternatively staff could join the family at the table. The family asked that staff join the family for dinner and Dial4care provided funds direct to the family to cover the cost of food. This fostered trust and inclusion that was important to the family and to the staff.

Staff attended Diversity and Inclusion training as part of the providers mandatory training. Detailed care plans were focused solely on the young person with person-centred care being the main emphasis, ensuring they were treated as individuals. Information was sought in relation to people’s preferred lifestyles, their cultural and unique backgrounds, the people that were important to them and the different hobbies and interests they enjoyed. The review process involved the young person, family members [ if appropriate], social workers, and other professionals. Staff provided feedback based on their daily observations and interactions, ensuring any changes to care plans reflected the young person’s changing needs and goals. This meant people’s care was delivered in a holistic and person-centred way.

Staff were well trained and were provided with specialised training to support people safely and in line with their preferences. For example, all staff received Non-Violent Resistance training and also Managing Behaviour with Attachment in Mind. (This is a program designed to teach caregivers, particularly those working with children who may have experienced trauma or insecure attachments, how to understand and respond to distressed behaviours by considering the underlying attachment needs of the child, rather than simply reacting to the behaviour on the surface; it emphasises providing a nurturing and responsive environment to help children regulate their emotions and build healthy relationships.) This specialised training had supported the staff to understand the many differing needs of the families / young people and children they supported.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff always empowered the young people they supported to have a voice and to realise their potential to ensure they were fully involved in their care provision. For example, we saw that staff promoted the independence of young people who were not able to communicate verbally by using pictures to show daily tasks like personal care, meals, and medication times.

Staff had a good understanding of protecting and respecting young people’s human rights ensuring they were able to make decisions about their care, treatment, and wellbeing. One staff member told us, , “We encourage individuals to do as much as they can for themselves, offering support only when necessary. Families are involved in care planning and reviews, where appropriate, and we fully support family contact when this needs to be supervised.”

Care plans reflected an enabling approach. They clearly described the things the young person could do and areas where they needed extra support. Care plans also described people’s communication needs and information was provided to people in formats they could understand.

A health professional involved in supporting 1 young person who is receiving support from Dial-4-Care informed us, “They support [young person] with developing independent living skills such as cooking, cleaning and domestic chores. They also work well with the wider professional’s network in identifying and managing potential/actual risks to self and/or others.”

Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress in a sensitive manner. Relatives felt that because there was consistency in staffing it meant that staff knew the families well and were able to engage people in discussions about their immediate needs. One relative told us, "The staff are very good at picking up if something is not right. They know just how to work with [family member] and are always able to anticipate their needs. If [family member] starts to show signs of distress they know how to bring them down and keep them calm.”

The service worked with the local authority Emergency Duty Team (EDT) and often were required to support families at very short notice. For example, the EDT called on a Friday evening and asked if staff could support by visiting children in a home where there were safeguarding concerns. Arrangements were made quickly for a member of staff to visit who met with the children, checked the house had food / heating etc, and that no unauthorised persons were present.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care. There was a strong organisational commitment and effective action to ensure there was equality and inclusion across the workforce. The management team informed us, “To promote a sense of community and mutual support, we have created a chat group where our international recruits can share their experiences, seek advice, and connect with others who have walked the same path.”

Staff of different faiths were given time off during religious festivals and the provider also adjusted staff rotas to enable to take part in fasting periods. Some staff were part of a Gospel singers’ group who performed twice annually at international concerts. Those staff were permitted to take time away, not part of their leave allowance, to follow their faith and achieve their dreams.

The provider understood how important staff wellbeing was and how this directly impacted the support people received. They put measures in place to support staff in the best way possible. For example, they celebrated staff achievements by having a manager of the month and champion of the month scheme where staff received a gift voucher for their achievements.

The provider had a workforce app that had a Health Assured Employee Assist programme where staff could access support at any time.

The management team gave exceptional support to staff members during life events where they needed this support. Staff had been supported when ill and visited in hospital by members of the management team. Feedback from a staff member read, “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have shown your care and support by wishing me a speedy recovery. Your kind words and gestures have not gone unnoticed, and they have undoubtedly made a positive impact on my journey towards healing.”

The provider strongly valued diversity in their workforce. They had an inclusive and fair culture which had improved equality and equity for people who worked for them. The management team informed us, “At Dial4Care, we take immense pride in fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for our international staff. Understanding the challenges that come with relocating to a new country, we have implemented a comprehensive support system to ensure a smooth transition for our recruits. From the moment they arrive in England, we prioritise their well-being by providing essential support. We have assisted in securing rented accommodation, ensuring our staff have a safe and comfortable place to call home. Recognising the immediate needs of newcomers, we have also provided groceries and basic necessities to help them settle in with ease. Healthcare access is a crucial aspect of our support. We have actively assisted our staff in registering with their local GP to ensure they can access medical services without difficulty. For those with families, we have facilitated school enrolments for their children, allowing them to transition smoothly into the education system. “

The impact of these services was that the staff wellbeing was always a priority and the staff felt appreciated and valued.