District Healthcare Limited Also known as District Homecare

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We assessed all of the quality statements within this key question. Our rating for this question is good. People received care and support that was tailored to them and their individual needs. People were encouraged to speak up and raise concerns if they had them. Most people felt they were involved in planning their care. Some people told us they could not remember being involved in their care planning. Some people told us they could access care in ways that meet their personal circumstances and protected equality characteristics, there were people who told us their visit times could be better. There was partnership working to make sure that care and treatment met the diverse needs of the people using the service.

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.

We received mixed feedback from people and their relatives about receiving person-centred care. Most people felt their preferences and lifestyle choices were respected and included in their care. One person told us “There are always 2 staff and they always wait for one another before they start. My times suit me, and they come on time. I am always introduced to new staff, and they shadow before they come to me so they know what it all involves”. Some people told us due to changes in visits, whether a change in time or staff member their care was not always person-centred. One person told us sometimes they are not able to access the community.

The staff and management team made it clear through the assessment that people were at the centre of their care. People’s care records were person-centred, staff told us “All the visits are person-centred and all the care plans are centred around each person”.

Some people told us the service was flexible with changing visits based on their needs. One person told us “If ever I do need to call the office about anything for example change of times they are very helpful. Everything is as they say tickety boo”.

The registered manager told us they had formed a positive relationship with local partners and worked openly with them. The registered manager also told us about occasions where they have increased the support from 1 staff member to 2 to provide the person with additional support at short notice. This supported the person to receive appropriate treatment from the GP in a timely manner. We observed the service delivering and co-ordinating extra visits because the registered manager had considered the needs of people using the service.

A partner who worked with the service told us about the service supporting people to transfer between services safely.

The provider had systems and processes in place to understand the health and care needs of people using the service. The service ensured they had relevant health information about people before beginning a package of care. The registered manager worked with professionals such as District nurses, social workers and GPs to achieve joined-up visits to support choice and continuity of care.

Relatives of people told us they could be provided with information that was accessible, safe and secure through the electronic care planning system. A relative told us the registered manager could make it more known that people and relatives could have access to care records. This relative told us they did not have access to these records at the start of care being provided to their relative, as they were unaware. This relative said “If I had to say anything could be improved that would be it”. Most people using the service told us the service communicated well and one said “The office are very helpful and approachable when I ring, and the manager is very helpful. The office keep in touch and we are very happy with them, we have had other agencies in the past who have been nowhere as good as these are. They are so good for mum and she feels so valued again”.

Staff told us “People can request their care plans in large print or easy read but I think that is the only request we have ever had and we do have an external log-in for family members so if a client agrees to that or lacks capacity then we can give an external log-in so they can see care notes and care plans as well”. Staff also told us communication was good and they were able to gain the information and the updates they needed to provide care to people using the service, one staff member said “We have emails and WhatsApp’s groups and we also have our webpage that we have a carer portal in so that keeps staff updated and in our app they can send messages to us also, so yes we are well communicated with”.

The registered manager had systems and processes in place to assess people’s communication needs and identify if information was needed in an accessible way. The registered manager told us they had not needed to tailor their care plans however the registered manager explained they would provide information in an accessible way if it had been identified or needed to meet individual needs. See Quality statement how staff, teams and services work together.

People told us they felt comfortable speaking with their care workers and the management team. A relative told us “They are all really caring and just amazing towards mum. We have no complaints about them. This company is brilliant, and we are so happy to have found them”. People we spoke with told us they knew how to make a complaint and relatives told us where they had raised a complaint the registered manager had taken action.

The registered manager told us about several different processes in place for staff and people using the service to raise concerns, they expressed that the staff team were open with management and would pick up the phone to discuss any concerns. The registered manager and staff understood the need to listen to and act on people’s feedback.

The registered manager had systems and processes in place to obtain regular feedback. The registered manager had recently provided the people using the service and their relatives with a survey to give them an opportunity to formally provide feedback. This feedback was then comprehensively analysed to identify improvements and fed back to staff to ensure they knew what went well and what could be done better. The registered manager had systems and processes in place to learn from complaints, concerns and feedback.

We received mixed feedback from people about how flexible the service was with accommodating changes to the timings of care calls when people wanted this. People raised no concerns about accessing healthcare appointments They felt able to access relevant healthcare professionals when needed.

The registered manager told us about their process when people were not happy with their care visits. The registered manager told us they would always try their best to facilitate people’s wishes however this wasn’t always achievable and, in these cases, the registered manager would provide the person with information and signpost them to services that may be able to achieve this.

Partners working with the service did not highlight any concerns in relation to how the service works in-line with the Equality Act 2010 and people’s protected characteristics.

The registered manager had systems in place to ensure people could access the care and support they needed in line with their care preferences. The registered manager and staff team had acted proactively to ensure one person’s cultural and religious needs did not prevent them from accessing the care they needed.

We spoke with people to learn more about their experiences of using the service. People and their relatives did not highlight any concern with regards to equity in experiences and outcomes. One person we spoke with was very happy with the outcome of their care, telling us staff had supported them to get back on their feet which had led to a decrease in support. This enabled the person to be more independent and in control of their life.

The registered manager told us about additional arrangements for staff and people using the service with different protected characteristics and made reasonable adjustments to ensure barriers were removed, they promoted equality and protected their rights.

The registered manager was alert to discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage different groups of people using the service and staff. The registered manager had a process in place to comply with equality and human rights, avoiding discrimination and had systems in place to obtain information about people’s individual needs and wishes. Staff had access to these through people’s electronic care plans. Records showed staff received equality and diversity training and the management team completed competencies on staff to ensure this training had been put into practice.

People did not discuss their end-of-life planning with us.

The registered manager told us about gaining support from other professionals such as a local hospice when supporting someone with end-of-life care. One staff member told us “(Registered manager) will always go and visit clients and ensure that carers will know how to care for people at the end of their life”.

The registered manager had systems in place to obtain information about people’s individual needs, particularly around the end of life. However this had not always been recorded in each person’s care plan. The registered manager told us people did not always want to discuss planning for the future. The registered manager was responsive to feedback about improving information held in a person’s care plan around planning for the future.