Helping Hands Accrington

People received a good standard of care and their needs were met safely. Risks were assessed, mitigated and reviewed regularly. Staff had the right knowledge, skills and experience to do their jobs and managed people's medicines safely. People were protected from the risk of abuse due to effective safeguarding processes and the risk of mistakes being repeated was minimised. Staff followed safe infection control processes and wore PPE where appropriate.

Management assessed and reviewed people's needs accurately and regularly, and staff could access guidance easily via an app on their mobile phones. People's needs were met in line with guidance, and staff took account of what was important to the person. Staff worked well with other agencies such as GPs and district nurses. People were supported to maintain healthy lives and staff helped people to maintain links in the local community. Staff could recognise if someone's health was deteriorating and took appropriate action. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act, and considered consent throughout their caring activities.

People were treated with kindness and compassion, and people said staff were very caring, going above and beyond at times. People were treated as individuals and their care was delivered by small and consistent teams. People were supported to maintain their independence and control over their care and decisions. Staff had the right knowledge and skills to observe people's health and wellbeing and could respond to people' different needs accordingly. The service had several ways to promote the wellbeing of their staff and encouraged them to deliver person centred care.

Staff delivered person centred care and they understood the health and care needs of people and the local community. The service provided clear information to people and sought feedback about the care from people and their relatives. The service was not caring for anyone that was at the end of their lives but staff could access training if required.

We found a positive culture at the service and managers and staff were committed to meeting the needs of people to a high standard; care respected equality, diversity and inclusion. Managers were capable and compassionate, and staff spoke positively about the support they received. Managers had a good understanding of risk, and monitored performance. Care was delivered at a good standard, achieved individual outcomes, and met people's needs. Staff worked well with external agencies and managers were committed to continuous learning to improve the service.