Homelium Dorset

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 assessment for this newly registered 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 service always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. People told us staff treated them with dignity and respect. People told us they appreciated the staff as they were fun, and always laughed together. A member of staff told us, “All carers are amazing, and the clients are happy and safe. I love my job and the people I work with. I can say we are like a family; everyone is so supportive if you are going through your own problems and very understanding.”

The service 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 told us they were treated as individuals. Staff knew people well. One person said, “I am safe and happy with them; we manage to have a laugh which is nice.” Records showed the service had learned about people’s lives and interests, including their younger days and work life. Care and support plans were person centred, and the service had explored what the person wanted to achieve from the service.

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Encouraging independence was at the very heart of the service. The service focused on supporting people to remain well in their own surroundings. Staff told us they understood the importance of supporting people to maintain or regain their independence. A member of staff said, “I believe we should always support the person to be as independent as possible. I often encourage them to try and do as much as they can daily, this is important, so they don't lose their independence and still feel able to do things their way.”

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff respond to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. People and their relatives told us communication with the service was easy, they were confident in being heard. The registered manager had arranged staff responsibilities in specific areas, this had been effective in ensuring they could respond when people needed them. Records showed staff continually supported individual needs and made links with other services for people. A relative said, “We find the core team are skilled at their jobs, also open to feedback and suggestions on what might work best for my loved one [name].”

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff were supported by the service. This had enabled them to provide care to people in a safe way, through robust policies and procedures. Staff were passionate about their roles. A member of staff said, “I feel like I am making an impact on making someone’s life even that little bit easier. It’s so lovely to see the clients feel safe and secure in their own homes, living their lives as independent as they can. I am very proud of working for Homelium Dorset.” The registered manager told us, maintaining and improving staff wellbeing was essential to them. A member of staff told us they were proud to work for the service and said, “Homelium and the whole team are really a breath of fresh air they really are, they have brought out the best in me because for the first time being a care and support worker I feel appreciated and valued and I can't thank them enough.”