Lifeways Community Care (Warwickshire & Coventry)

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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

People had built caring relationships with the staff supporting them. Relatives told us new staff had started to get to know their family members well. Staff understood what was important to people and assisted them promptly when they wanted support. People were empowered to decide what care they wanted and staff assisted them to live their lives as they wished. Staff well-being needs were considered by senior staff.

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 provider 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 were positive about the relationships staff had developed with them. One person said, “I love living here because I love the staff.” Relatives told us although there had been changes in the staff supporting their family members, their family members had developed bonds with the newer staff. One relative told us, “Staff are kind and caring” and said, “There are some good staff there now.” Staff knew people well. Staff told us they often started to get to know about people before people began to receive care from staff at the service. This included through information communicated by colleagues and other professionals, who contributed to people’s initial assessments. Staff told us they valued the connections they had with the people they cared for and gave us examples showing how they let people know they mattered. This included celebrating people’s birthdays and supporting them to live their lives as they wished. Staff gave us examples showing how they supported people to maintain their dignity, for example, by ensuring people were adequately covered where practical during elements of personal care. Staff understood the need to adapt how they cared for people and to work at their pace. This helped to reduce the likelihood people may experience anxieties people may have about specific areas of their planned care, such as personal care. People were relaxed and content in the presence of the staff supporting them. Staff spoke warmly to people and took time to involve them in their care. People were confident to ask staff questions and to request help when they wanted this.

The provider 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 said staff focused on what was important to them when assisting them. For one person, this had involved deciding where they wished to go on holiday, and which staff and other people they want to invite to go along. This approach had enabled the person to enjoy a holiday with people they cared about and the opportunity to spend time doing things which were linked to one of their main interests. People told us they were encouraged to decorate and furnish their rooms so these reflected what mattered to them. One relative explained how important it was for their family member to enjoy the environment they lived in. The relative said staff were supportive and considered how to tailor their family member’s care to reflect this. The relative said as a result of this, “They [staff] even put up a Christmas tree 3 weeks ago for them”. Staff knew what people’s aspirations and lifestyle choices were. Staff gave us examples showing how they supported people with protected characteristics so their needs would be met. This included support for people to express themselves and live as full a life as they wished, based on their preferences. Staff used their knowledge of people’s individual care preferences and communication needs when caring for them. For example, by working at people’s preferred pace. Care plans reflected people’s individual interests, social needs and lifestyle preferences. Systems were in place to consider people’s preferred communication needs and what support they individually required.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. For some people, this meant they organised their own health appointments and managed elements of their own personal care. For other people, staff encouraged them to be involved in day-to-day decisions and prompted them to participate in daily life. Relatives were positive about how their family members were encouraged to be independent and to decide what care they wanted. One relative said, “They [staff] even invite him to his own [care review] meetings.” Staff gave us examples showing how they assisted people to be as independent. This helped to ensure people were able to spend their time with people who were important to them, and to maintain their tenancies. One staff member explained how they had worked with a person, so their independence and confidence was promoted. The staff member explained they were working with the person and other agencies to obtain a new piece of equipment. The staff member said, “[Person’s name] wants that to gain confidence so they can go out alone eventually.” Staff checked people’s preferences over time, so they could be sure people continued to be supported to maintain their choices and independence in the ways they preferred. Staff worked with people and gently encourage them to make their own decisions. People’s care plans considered what care they wanted and provided a timeframe for people to be supported as they wished. Systems were in place through “Care Runs”, so staff were guided to ensure people received the care they wanted when they wanted it. “Care Runs” also reflected time for people to be supported to do things they enjoyed doing and to attend external events. Processes were in place to review what support people may wish to have to maintain relationship with people who were important to them.

The provider 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. People were confident to ask for additional help when they wanted it. For example, support to make a meal at a time which suited people. Relatives gave us examples showing how staff used their skills to recognise when their family members may require prompt help and were unable to verbally communicate this to staff. One relative told us staff knew how to interpret if their family member may require support with their health, as staff were able to interpret their family member’s body language. Relatives were confident staff took prompt action to support their family members when this happened. One relative said, “[Person’s name] was complaining about pain in their leg recently. [Staff] responded quickly and got them seen. In the past that would never have happened.” Staff told us how they supported people in a timely way. This included when people wanted prompt support to do things they enjoyed and when people required emergency health care. Staff gave us examples showing how they had advocated for people so they would receive the level of care they needed, so people’s needs and preferences would be promptly met. We saw staff promptly provided support to people when they requested it. Staff also frequently checked how people were reacting to situations, so they could adjust how they cared for them, should this be required. For example, by providing people with additional reassurance when people wanted this.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff were supported through clear written information about what support people required each day, through “care run” information. This outlined what care each person wanted. For some staff, it was important this was in written format, as this was their preferred communication method. Staff told us they used the care run information to organise their shifts with their colleagues. The care run information encouraged staff to work together so their workloads were manageable, whilst ensuring people were provided with the care they wanted. Senior staff told us about the additional support provided to staff when staff were having to balance their own needs with the care they were providing. For example, supporting staff to work at flexible times and providing toiletries for use when staff were on shift. Systems were in place to assist staff to understand what care needed to be provided to people each day. Processes were in place to support staff to raise any concerns and make suggestions through either direct contact with senior staff or through staff meetings.