Carewise Ltd

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Risks in relation to people’s specific dietary needs were now managed well. Risks were identified and advice sought from healthcare professionals, such as speech and language therapists. Risk assessments documented this advice so staff could now manage and mitigate people’s risks. The system to consider people’s capacity within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) had improved. Staff now demonstrated a good understanding of the MCA and completed training on this. People and their families were supported to be involved in all aspects of their care. Healthcare support was provided by professionals and staff supported people to access this.

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’s needs were fully assessed before they started to receive support. One person said, “Yes, they did come and talk to me. I have no family. They did come and talk to me about what they had to do.” A relative commented, “Yes, they did gather information before the start. I was involved.”

Assessments were undertaken as part of the care planning process. The manager explained, “Communication needs are part of the assessment when we first assess. Communication is the whole point of care. Everything is in the care plan. We might have a person who is hard of hearing or who is partially sighted, and the carers are advised.”

People’s care needs were detailed in an app for staff to access. A staff member told us, “The care plans used to be quite short. Now I like the fact you can make them really detailed. Information goes on the app. If I need to make any changes, it will flag up on staff phones. Care staff have to click it to say they’ve read it.” Families could read about people’s care and see what support had been given by carers; access was through a family portal.

People’s care needs and preferences were planned with them. A relative said, “I would talk to her carers, whether something was going well or not.” People felt staff were well trained to deliver care. One person told us, “I think staff are well trained, very good. I have regular carers.”

Staff completed a range of training to learn about current good practice so they could deliver safe care and support to people. A staff member said, “I had online training, induction and everything. I did a shadowing shift too. When you care for a new client, you are always introduced first.” Staff could also enrol on vocational training courses such as National Vocational Qualifications in health and social care, as well as the Care Certificate if they were new to care. The Care Certificate is an agreed set of standards that define the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected of specific job roles in the health and social care sectors.

Staff completed a range of training when they joined the service. This enabled them to provide care that met people’s assessed needs. Care plans provided detailed information, advice and guidance which staff followed on an app. A training matrix showed the training staff had completed and when refresher training was due. Records showed that staff training was up to date.

People received continuity of care as a result of holistic assessments completed by the provider. The service had a change of ownership in 2024. One person said, “There has been lots of changes; you can’t get to know all the staff. They rotate, but they will update me. There has been lots of new staff this year.” People confirmed they could contact the office easily.

The manager told us they liaised with a variety of health and social care professionals such as district nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, GPs and social services. This enabled people to receive the care and support they required. Referrals were usually received via social services and information about people’s needs was shared; this formed the basis of the care plan.

We received feedback from the local authority with regard to quality monitoring of the service. A team from there had provided ongoing support to the service, for example, in providing advice and guidance on the writing of risk assessments. Where incidents had occurred, this team had investigated and given feedback to the service.

Processes had been developed to draw up detailed assessments before a person received support. This meant that the service could evaluate what training staff required, how many staff, and any equipment needed by a person to meet their particular needs. Information was shared with professionals who were involved in people’s care and support needs.

People were supported to live healthier lives by the service. One person said, “Staff will contact healthcare professionals for me. I’ve seen the district nurse and physiotherapist.” People confirmed staff would contact their GP if necessary, or paramedics, in an emergency.

Staff confirmed the service worked closely with people’s GPs. The manager explained that if people were not well, they would call their GP and inform family members too. Staff supported people with a healthy diet and lifestyle. For example, people living with diabetes were encouraged with a low-carb diet.

‘Do not attempt cardio-pulmonary resuscitation’ (DNACPR) forms were completed by healthcare professionals for some people. DNACPR is a decision made in advance not to restart the heart or breathing if they stop. These forms were kept in people’s homes. Emergency care packs summarised people’s health and care needs and could be accessed as needed, for example, if a person was admitted to hospital.

The service continually monitored people’s care and support needs, and people were involved in decisions about their care. One person said, “I feel they know what they are doing; the work always gets done.” A relative commented, “I try to be involved in all discussions about her care.” People were asked for their feedback about the service through questionnaires or over the phone. A relative told us, “I am happy with the care. The service is much better now. It’s back to the place where it should be.”

People’s care plans were reviewed regularly. The manager explained, “We listen to what carers tell us, people and their families. We use surveys and complaints to improve the service. When a client complains, we look at the complaint and use this for learning. We follow up with the client with the outcome to make sure they are happy with the service.”

Processes had been developed to monitor and measure the quality of care people received. Care plans were reviewed and updated when changes were required. Meetings were arranged with people and their families, and a supervisor visited people at home to obtain their feedback.

People’s consent was sought when staff provided care. People were encouraged to make choices about their care and their preferences were known and met by staff. A relative said, “She is able to make some choices, but it’s more routine. She likes her routine.” Another relative told us, “Staff would always ask, ‘Is it all right?’, before doing anything.”

Staff understood the importance of gaining people’s consent when providing person-centred care. They had completed training on the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and put this learning into practice. One staff member explained, “I’ve done online training. You’re not supposed to think that people do not have capacity. Everyone has the right to make their own decisions and be involved in their care, unless they have a condition that might prevent it.”

People’s care records included information about their capacity to make certain decisions independently, or whether they required support to understand the consequences of making particular decisions. For example, we read that one person’s dementia could affect their ability to make decisions, and their understanding might fluctuate day-to-day.