Home Instead Chichester & Bognor Regis

At this assessment, the service demonstrated exceptional and distinctive practice across all areas of care and support and has sustained its previous outstanding rating. People and their relatives consistently told us they felt safe, valued and fully involved in decisions about their care. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and people described staff as caring, responsive and dedicated to helping them achieve outcomes that mattered to them.

The management team had created a culture where people were treated as individuals and supported to live meaningful, fulfilling lives. Staff consistently went beyond meeting people's care needs by helping them achieve personal ambitions, maintain important relationships and remain connected to their communities. Outstanding examples included supporting people to safely fulfil lifelong wishes such as flying on a plane, visiting a zoo and returning to the theatre through the provider's Cloud Nine initiative (enabling people to achieve their ambitions). Staff demonstrated exceptional positive risk-taking, working collaboratively with people and healthcare professionals to support individuals to travel independently using public transport, maintain control of their medicines and remain living in their own homes wherever possible. This approach maximised people's independence, choice and quality of life.

Care was highly personalised and responsive to people's changing needs. Staff recognised deterioration early, escalated concerns promptly and worked exceptionally well with healthcare professionals to achieve positive outcomes. The provider demonstrated outstanding end-of-life care, proactively supporting people to remain at home, in familiar surroundings and with those important to them, often overcoming barriers within wider systems to achieve people's wishes. Innovative approaches included the development of a Continuing Healthcare checklist, champion roles, artificial intelligence (AI) supported governance systems and the use of specialist equipment to improve people's experiences and outcomes.

Leaders were visible, inclusive and highly respected by people, relatives, staff and professionals. They had embedded a strong culture of learning, innovation and continuous improvement. The provider's influence extended beyond the service through leadership of local community initiatives, end-of-life networks, dementia-friendly projects and partnerships aimed at reducing social isolation and improving support for older people across the local area. Health and social care professionals described the service as a valued community partner that consistently went above and beyond to improve people's lives. The provider's exceptional leadership, commitment to innovation and unwavering focus on achieving outstanding outcomes resulted in a service that was truly person-centred and consistently delivered care that exceeded people's expectations.

Feedback from a range of health and community professionals described Home Instead as a highly respected and person-centred domiciliary care provider that consistently placed people's needs at the heart of its service. Professionals praised the agency's excellent communication, highlighting that staff and managers were approachable, responsive, and proactive in sharing information and addressing concerns in a timely manner. Feedback consistently described staff as caring, knowledgeable, professional and compassionate, with many professionals commenting on the positive experiences reported by people using the service and their families. The management team was widely recognised for being engaged, supportive and committed to continuous improvement, working collaboratively with partners across health and social care to improve outcomes for people. Several professionals noted the organisation's strong reputation within the local community. Overall, feedback demonstrated a service that is trusted by health professionals, values partnership working, and consistently delivers compassionate care that has a positive impact on people's lives.

Staff spoke very positively about working for Home Instead, describing it as a supportive organisation that values both staff and people receiving care. Staff consistently said they felt listened to, respected and able to contribute ideas through team meetings, supervisions and regular communication with managers. Several staff highlighted the approachable and supportive leadership team, stating managers were available for advice, acted on concerns and promoted a positive team culture where everyone felt valued. Staff praised the organisation’s commitment to person-centred care, including longer visit times which enabled them to build meaningful relationships with people, provide unrushed support and respond to individual preferences. Staff also spoke positively about the training and development opportunities available, with many describing extensive training, ongoing professional development and support to progress within their roles. They felt they were empowered to deliver high-quality care and make a difference to people’s lives.