Chinese Wellbeing / Merseyside Chinese Community Development Association

Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.

There was a strong, natural person-centred culture which was evident in our observations and the actions and comments of all staff. Chinese Wellbeing was primarily commissioned to provide personal care. However, we saw numerous examples of staff supporting people to engage in meaningful and culturally appropriate activities which helped people avoid social isolation. The service made very effective use of fundraising and partner organisations to maximise people's opportunities to access activities. People's individual needs and preferences were consistently considered as part of the care planning process. This included supporting the needs of people living with dementia and their relatives. Care and communication methods were sensitively adapted to promote people's independence and choice. People were encouraged and supported to take the lead in assessment and care planning processes with the support of an interpreter. People and their relatives spoke very positively about the caring nature of staff.

The comments and behaviours of the registered manager and other senior staff consistently reflected their commitment to a genuinely person-centred, user-led service. It was clear this had resulted in positive outcomes for people. People using the service and staff spoke about how they or their relatives led discussions about care needs. This was done naturally in response to people's needs, rights and cultural expectations. Managers and staff regularly provided additional services to ensure people's needs were met by working holistically and in partnership with other organisations. The service offered their expertise for the benefit of the wider BAME (Black and Minority Ethnic) community and worked effectively with the local authority and community groups to maximise the impact of their work. Chinese Wellbeing was exceptional at engaging people using the service, their relatives and staff. The service operated as an extension of the family unit and built relationships on trust. Chinese Wellbeing had a proven track record of securing

additional resources and developing productive partnerships with other organisations. Following the last inspection additional partnerships had been developed with other services in the area to further improve outcomes for people. The service placed continuous learning and improvement at the heart of their practice. They made effective use of audits, reports and other forms of communication to monitor and improve the safety and quality of care.

People and their relatives spoke very positively about the caring nature of staff. They told us they were always treated well by staff and were consulted about their care. There was a strong, natural person-centred culture which was evident in our observations and the actions and comments of all staff. Every interaction between staff and people receiving care we witnessed was kind, positive and exceptionally respectful. Staff were well-matched and aware of the wide range of cultures within the Chinese community. People were encouraged to comment on the provision of care and were actively involved in the decision-making process through discussions with staff and regular meetings. Important information was translated by the service and made available in different formats. Staff supported people with their personal care needs in a discreet and sensitive manner. Staff told us how important this was to people and explained how they supported people's right to privacy at all times.

People were well protected from the risk of abuse or neglect and told us the service helped them to feel safe. Systems and processes were in place to reduce the risk of harm. Risk was assessed as part of the management of the service and effective measures had been taken to reduce risk and maintain people's independence. Safe recruitment practices were used to ensure new staff were suited to working with vulnerable people and understood the Chinese culture. Appropriate checks were completed before new staff started work. Staff were deployed in sufficient numbers to meet people's needs and provide safe care from a consistent team. Medicines were well-managed and people were supported to administer their own medicines with minimal prompting. Staff understood the need for effective hygiene standards to reduce the risk of infection. Staff recorded incidents and accidents in sufficient detail to aid analysis and reduce risk.