Be Caring Leeds

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

The care provided was exceptionally individualised. The care people were provided with enhanced their lives and we saw numerous examples of people being supported by staff who were exceptionally kind, caring and respectful.

This service scored 100 (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 as a whole demonstrated exceptional compassion for the people it supported. It was evident from how people spoke about their staff that they felt respected and cared for. One person said, “I have had the carers coming for 3 years now each morning, I have 2 carers who usually come to help me, and they are both so nice, no matter what I ask them to do its no trouble to either of them.” Another person said, “Both my mother and father have the carers coming in 4 times a day. The carers do jobs separately with them helping my mum after my dad, neither of them is rushed and the carers stay as long as they should.” One person had been supported by staff to regain contact with family members which was incredibly important and impactful for them and their relatives. We saw evidence of staff going above and beyond for people. One example was staff bringing their horses to one person's home and supporting them to go outside and interact with the horses. The service operated an 'Above and Beyond programme' which encouraged and supported staff to think outside the box and undertake activities that were personalised to each individual.

The provider treated staff with exceptional kindness, compassion and dignity. This enabled staff to do the same for people they supported. For example, where staff were experiencing hardship we saw evidence of exceptional support for their emotional and mental heatlh. The provider thought outside the box in order to support staff and this had a positive impact on how staff could support people using the service. Staff members told us about how they promoted people's dignity. For example, one staff member said, “To promote dignity, I ensure people are covered at all times, I close curtains, respect their opinions, care for them the way they want, talk to them." Another said “I ask them about what they used to do when they were younger and try and do things around that. For example, sitting outside in their garden and listening to the music they loved.”

The service supplied evidence of exceptionally positive feedback from partners working with the organisation. One healthcare professional said; "I have worked alongside Be Caring in the community as a health professional for the last 2 years. Be caring are a very professional company. They are communicative towards the service users and towards other professionals. They understand the service users’ needs profoundly and make contact if they have concerns about that person that needs specialist input. The carers and care company are kind, compassionate and professional.” Another external partner said, "I would like to thank everyone involved in this case for their support, flexibility and teamworking. Be Caring have been brilliant, creative, and flexible. Thank you for working with us so closely with this one. Hopefully, this is the start of a positive new chapter for [person]."

The service provided people with exceptionally personalised care. We saw evidence of staff members regularly singing alongside one person which contributed significantly to this person's health and wellbeing. Another staff member took the initiative to take their own food along when supporting a person who was not eating much. This resulted in the person eating alongside the staff member which was beneficial for their health and wellbeing. One person commented, “I do not need anything to change as it’s all very good for me, nothing is a trouble to any of the ladies who come.”

Staff are recognised by the provider for outstanding contributions to the people they support. For example, staff are nominated and have opportunities to win awards at an awards ceremony. This encourages staff to go above and beyond for people and to support eachother by nominating others for awards. We saw evidence that the staff team consistently go above and beyond for people they support which enhances their lives, health and wellbeing. One staff member said, “Of course its treating people as an individual.” They also said, “No two people are the same we are all different and like different things.”

The providers processes meant staff were encouraged and supported to go above and beyond for people they cared for. Staff are paid for all their time, including travel, so this encourages staff to spend quality time with people. The provider arranges calls in such a way that staff often have gaps in their rota where they can use their initiative to go and spend extra time with other people they care for to support their wellbeing and engage in activity. This had an exceptional impact on people's wellbeing. The provider operates an 'Above and Beyond' programmme which encourages staff to use their own initiative to take actions that are meaningful for each individual. They provide clear policy and guidance for staff on how to utilise this programme and training in positive outcomes for people. Staff were rewarded and recognised for going above and beyond to make a difference to people's lives.

People told us the service they received was 'outstanding'. They said they were encouraged to maintain their independence as much as possible. One relative told us, “I have excellent support from the registered manager and the team leaders as I don’t live locally to [relative], we have measures in place for shopping and the carers let me know what [relative] needs each week, there is always plenty of choice available and [relative] is always being asked what they would like to eat.” One person told us that due to their acceptance of care, their life has been hugely impacted and they said "The memories will live with me as long as I live." One person also told us that after not going out in the community for many years, the support and encouragement from Be Caring had enabled them to start enjoying going out in the community again.

All the people we spoke with told us they had been consulted about exactly how they like to receive their care and support, and who they were happy to receive it from. People were clear about their rights relating to their care and support. Staff told us they encouraged people to do as much for themselves as possible, to maximise their independence. There was an understanding that people had a choice about how their care was provided. Staff told us they engaged in personal care activities that enhance client happiness, like taking people outside to enjoy the garden, or pampering them with hair and nail care. Staff readiness to provide emotional support by spending quality time in conversation underscores their caring nature.

Staff were encouraged by the provider to promote people's independence, choice and control. Staff were encouraged to collaborate with people to establish realistic goals based on individual strengths and support networks. To use planned care time and additional flexible time to achieve these goals and use existing capacity to provide temporary support for achieving outcomes. Staff used their own initiative to identify and suggest changes to the way people's care was arranged to enable them to spend more time doing what they enjoyed and promote their independence. Care plans were exceptionally clear and detailed about exactly how people wanted their care delivered. They contained clear direction for staff and people told us staff worked in line with the details in their care plans.

People rated the care provided as 'Outstanding'. One person said "The care package is improving my quality of life. Without a doubt, without them I would be utterly devastated.” One relative told us, “Both my mother and father have the carers coming in 4 times a day, the carers do the jobs separately with them helping my mum after my dad, neither of them is rushed and the carers stay as long as they should.” We saw evidence that staff identified that a person was paying for something they were entitled to for free and supported them to apply to the appropriate authorities for the exemption.

Staff members told us that they knew people exceptionally well and that if they came across a situation where they did not know what to do, they would contact the office, they said that someone would always answer, and they never felt unsupported when out in the community. Staff took their own initiative and were proactive in ensuring people's immediate needs were met. For example, one person wasn't eating much and a staff member brought their own food to eat with them in order to encourage the person to eat their meal.

Staff said they had seen vast improvements in how the service operates within Be Caring in the years they had worked there. One staff member said they had been enabled to to support one person to attend their relatives wedding which was very important to them. This activity was supported by the provider. Another staff member said, “All of the staff are brilliant, and you feel listened to."

The provider promoted staff wellbeing and recognised excellence. An example of this is the introduction of the 'Be Proud' event, where staff can be nominated for awards to recognise their contribution in going above and beyond. Staff nominated are accommodated overnight with access to spa facilities and provided with food and drink. This demonstrates the providers commitment to recognising exceptional practice and rewarding staff. Staff excellence is also celebrated with all colleagues through inclusion in the staff newsletter. The provider also regularly sends staff wellbeing communications which promote the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). These messages focus on supporting the mental and physical health of staff members.