Altogether Care - Care At Home Limited Wareham

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

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 service was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. People and family members all said they felt staff were exceptionally kind and caring. They described examples of when staff had gone the extra mile to support people. For example, one person told us their pet had been hit by a car. The person’s limited mobility meant they were unsure if they would be able to continue caring for their beloved pet. They told us, “The staff all rallied round and bent over backwards to support me with [pet’s] medications and subsequent rehab, post-accident, surgery etc. I just wouldn’t have coped without their brilliant care and support of us. My pet has gone on to make a full recovery.” Another person told us, they were not able to get out of bed so spent a lot of time looking out onto their garden. A member of staff noticed a bird table was being advertised locally for free collection and picked it up, provided some bird seed and placed it outside the persons window. They said, “I made a note of the birds I’d seen and told the carers when they came in, it made me really happy.” A further person told us their slippers had worn and they were quite sad because they found it difficult to get into the community to purchase some more. They said, “A carer brought me some slippers as a surprise I was so happy it was one of the nicest surprises I’ve had in ages!”

The service treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The service took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. Staff were exceptional at supporting people to live as full a life as possible. For example, at Christmas the service worked with a local charity who prepared gift bags containing small gifts of gloves, socks and other thoughtful items. Staff would check to ensure they were safe and suitable for the people they were intended for and deliver them to people who did not have families or were not expecting to receive a Christmas present. One person said, “If it hadn't been for this gift, I would not have received anything from anyone, this has made my Christmas.” Staff were exceptional at recognising when people were at risk of being lonely and went above and beyond to prevent this. The registered manager told us they would make daily phone calls to people they knew would be on their own during the day. This had improved the life of one person who said they enjoyed having someone to talk to. At Christmas time, staff noted the people who would not be seeing loved ones on Christmas Day and arranged to take them a Christmas dinner and spent time with them, so they did not feel isolated or lonely. Staff went the extra mile to support people. For example, staff who had previously qualified as hairdressers supported people with a weekly salon standard wash and blow dry. People said, “I can’t get to the salon, and wouldn’t be able to afford to have it done weekly. It’s a real treat without having to leave the house and makes me feel special.”

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. For example, staff regularly escorted one person into Wareham to visit the shops, post office or bank. The person said, “I wouldn’t be able to do this on my own; by helping me staff help me to retain my independence and dignity. I enjoy their company; they are more like friends or family to me and without them I don’t know what I would do or how my life would be.” Another person said, “Staff are cheerful and kind. They help me stay independent by encouraging me to walk on my own, they are there if I need it and watch me as I walk across the room. I’m walking much better now!” Staff told us they supported people to write cards for their families and friends and supported them to maintain relationships that were important to them.

The service 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. A relative told us, “Staff are very well trained, kind and caring. [Loved one] has mood changes but they are very good and calm her.”

The service always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care. The provider and registered manager ensured staff were highly motivated to offer care and support that was exceptionally compassionate and kind. “[Registered manager] engineered my shifts to not clash with family commitments I had due to a family tragedy. She showed genuine concern and supported me to do my job well for which I was grateful as that was a tough time. She has enabled me to do my NVQ level 3 and sends me information for the diploma whenever I ask for it. I am really enjoying the course; I am learning so much.” All care staff confirmed that the service supported their wellbeing to make sure they could give their best to people when at work. They told us, “There are some staff well-being programs conducted to educate us on how to make our work life balance and how we should look after our safety in working environment” and, “The registered manager is very supportive, and always assures me that even if I just need to have a chat about a bad day or anything I could always call or come into the office. Occasionally she calls me just to see how I am getting on. It’s why I love working here and I love my job.”