Trust Homecare Solution South Suffolk Limited

Updated 15 October 2024

Date of Assessment: 28 October 2024 to 8 November 2024. The service is a care at home service providing support to people of all ages who may have physical or mental health needs. The provider had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Staff supported people in line with their choices and preferences. The provider had sponsored the core group of staff from another country and ensured that the appropriate employment checks had been undertaken. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and how to raise concerns. The manager undertook risk assessments and put in placed measures to mitigate risks to people’s wellbeing. Staff had been recruited safely in line with sponsorship guidelines for recruitment of staff from abroad. Staff told us they received regular training and observations, both face to face and virtually. The manager used a training system where staff completed online mandatory training, and which demonstrated that staff had passed competency assessments. However, the manager did not always record all observations, and where recording was documented, it was not clear what was being observed and how care staff had been assessed. This was immediately actioned. Staff supported people with future planning, including advance decisions, working with other health and social care professionals to adapt care provided, supporting people to maintain their independence. Staff told us their wellbeing was supported and gave examples of how they had been supported to settle into a new country.

Updated 15 October 2024

People felt safe and were positive about the quality of their care. A person told us, “It is nice to have regular staff that know what they are doing.” People were supported with their medications safely and staff advocated for changes needed with other services, such as pharmacies. People’s care and support reflected their current needs. Staff had a good knowledge of people’s individual needs, and lifestyle choices. Staff made sure people understood their rights and could give clear consent to care provided. People told us that staff and care managers were kind, supportive and caring. People shared examples of staff going the extra mile to support someone with activities outside of planned care. People’s personal preferences, needs and confidentiality were respected. Relatives had highlighted some cultural differences between loved ones and staff supporting them, with staff at times being more reserved in communication out of cultural respect for their elders. The provider addressed these concerns. This included how people wanted to be engaged in regular daily conversations outside of care activities. The provider adapted people’s appointment times when needs changed, so that people could attend appointments, maintain links with their community and loved ones to prevent social isolation. People knew that staff would respond when their needs changed, accessing external assessment and equipment to support their care and changing visit times if required. This supported people to live as independently as possible. The provider ensured that people could feedback their experiences and quickly acted on concerns. They regularly shared changes in best practice to care with staff and what this meant for the people in their care.