Right at Home Chippenham

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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

We reviewed 5 quality statements in this key question.

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.

People and relatives told us the staff were kind and respectful. Comments about the staff included, “Right at Home have been really, really good. If I have any issues, they do something about it. They [staff] are very patient and understanding and they never once made me feel embarrassed, and they let me go at my own speed”, “They [staff] know everything. They come in and we have a laugh. It is a kindness and caring attitude” and “They [staff] know how to handle someone with dementia, and they do it with respect and dignity.”

The registered manager told us they regularly monitored the staff approach by getting feedback from people and relatives. Office staff regularly reviewed people’s care notes to make sure staff were recording appropriately and using person-centred terminology. The registered manager said they did regular spot checks on staff in people’s homes. This gave them the opportunity to observe staff interacting with people and get feedback from people about the staff approach.

Professionals we contacted did not share any concerns about this quality statement.

People and relatives told us the care was good and staff knew their individual needs and preferences. One relative told us, [Persons] care is what [they] need. We were involved in the Right at Home meeting.” One person told us, “They [staff] know how I’m feeling. They always offer to do things to help me. I’ve never experienced a carer who’s not that interested in me.”

The registered manager shared examples with us of how they made sure people with religious and cultural needs had the support they needed. The registered manager told us a wellbeing call was carried out after the first visit to a person. They said they wanted to check with people how the visit had gone and if the person’s care plan needed to be changed.

People’s care plans recorded their individual needs and how staff were to provide care. Assessments completed considered protected characteristics, any cultural needs and any disabilities. People had access to their care plans in their home. If people could not access the electronic copy, the office staff printed off a paper copy.

People’s independence was promoted by staff who understood the importance of maintaining people’s skills. Staff encouraged people to do as much as possible for themselves. People confirmed this was the staff approach. One person told us, “We talk about my feelings. Staff know I need to be persuaded to do things and I do feel better for it.”

Staff told us they always encouraged people to do as much for themselves as possible and never took over to complete tasks for people. One member of staff told us, “Every client we try and promote independence, we always get people to try themselves first. Anything I know they can do I encourage them to do it.”

People’s care plans gave staff information on how to support people to be as independent as possible. Staff were provided training on promoting independence and making sure people had opportunities to make choices. It was evident when talking with staff they were pleased to work in a service that supported people to remain in their own homes.

People who experienced distress had support from staff who were aware of their needs and had guidance on how to respond. Staff knew people well and knew how to effectively communicate with them. People and relatives shared positive experiences with us of how staff had provided assurance and demonstrated compassionate care. One relative told us, “I have no cause for concern. When [person] had an accident, everybody in the company was great. They stayed with [person] for hours.”

The registered manager told us they regularly monitored people’s experiences to make sure staff were supporting people in a timely way. Where needed the registered manager had liaised with specialist healthcare professionals to support people’s anxieties. For example, staff had communicated with mental health teams for 1 person who experienced regular distress.

Staff told us they felt well supported by the registered managers, office staff and other colleagues. Comments from staff included, “We do raise concerns, we also get feedback. [Registered manager] wants the best for us and is very easy to talk to” and “[registered manager] has done everything I needed and wanted. Working in care a lot can go wrong, [registered manager] will always make time, she will chat with me. There is always somebody there.” All the staff we spoke with told us they really enjoyed their work and that helped them to provide good quality care. One member of staff said, “I am really enjoying it, I like working with [the service] they are dedicated in delivering the highest level of care, supporting people to live in their own homes. They [management] don’t only provide quality care but peace of mind for clients as well, they look after the staff very well.”

Systems were available for staff to support their wellbeing. There were various policies and procedures available for staff wellbeing and processes to encourage staff to share their feedback. An anonymous staff survey was completed every month and there was a process on the electronic care plan system for staff to raise any concerns. The registered manager was trained as a mental health first aider and available to support staff if they needed it. Staff received thank you cards for their work and had gifts on their birthdays. The registered manager told us they were in the process of launching a quarterly award for staff. This was an award based on feedback from people, colleagues and management. Staff who were chosen as winners would receive a trophy for their hard work.