Love Life Care

People told us they felt safe with care staff and had confidence that any issues that may arise would be promptly addressed by the management team. Where safeguarding concerns were identified, the management team promptly alerted the relevant agencies. People’s relatives told us their loved ones were safe and staff kept them informed about changes in health or incidents, where appropriate. A relative recalled an incident and told us, “My [relative] was unwell. The two care staff who were there were fantastic they were very calm and called the ambulance. If they weren’t there, I dont know what would have happened. The care staff followed the ambulance in their car and went to the hospital to check if further help was needed. Staff were brilliant and called us instantly. They had everything under control.” Staff took action to seek medical support when required, and the provider made appropriate adjustments to mitigate risks to people. We saw multiple examples where the registered manager had sought advice in relation to a complex feeding regime from external professionals, to ensure the person received safe care. People received care in line with their risk assessments and care plans. However, some improvements were needed to ensure risks were robustly assessed by the use of standardised assessment tools. Further improvements were needed in relation to formalised competency checks and staff training in various areas such as moving and handling, pressure area care and behaviours that may challenge staff. The registered manager had already taken steps to address this in response to our feedback. People told us that care staff in the main were on time for their visits, but sometimes they were a little later than expected. The registered manager was looking into extending travel time, due to speed restrictions in the local area, which was impacting on staff travel time. One person told us, “9 times out of 10 they are on time."

People's choices and preferences were assessed at the start of service delivery and recorded in their care plans. These were regularly reviewed and updated as people's needs changed. Staff understood person centred care. Staff treated people very well and respected their equality and diversity by ensuring they met each person’s individual needs. Staff promoted people’s independence by encouraging them to do as much as they could for themselves. People, relatives and staff we spoke with described a caring service which was person centred. People had opportunities to feedback about their care. Hospital passports were in place for people moving between home and hospital which gave key information about their health and preferences. People’s communication methods were documented and included recognising facial expressions as a means to determining mood state and compliance with care tasks. Staff understood people’s ability to make choices for themselves and encouraged them to make decisions by offering people options. Some people who were unable to make certain decisions for themselves had mental capacity assessments completed in relation to various aspects of their care. There was then guidance about how staff should care for the person in their best interest and the least restrictive way. Where restrictions were in place, for example, locking away people’s medicines, care plans described why this was the least restrictive option. One relative told us, "The care has been fantastic, those carer's have really prolonged my [relatives] life – they have gone way beyond what they have been asked to do its all the little things that they do from staying behind just to read [relative] a story. My [relative] loves them and their face just lights up when they arrive."

People told us that staff treated them with respect and enabled them to have choice in how their care was delivered. One person told us, "If I had any problems I would call [registered manager] and within 24 hours it would be sorted. The [care staff] are fantastic and I couldn’t wish for more. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing the carer's, they are so very good." Relatives also gave positive feedback. One relative told us, "We have no concerns about the support the agency provides, they have given us faith in the care system." People’s diverse needs were referred to in care plans. Information was shared with multidisciplinary teams to ensure the best possible outcomes for people, regardless of age or disability. People felt empowered by the management team and staff to give their views and understand their rights, including their human rights. Staff enjoyed working for Love Life care. One staff member told us, "The [manager] is so supportive, both with work flexibility and with personal issues. There is no back biting or bullying, they kept the service small and that’s really helped. I've worked for other care companies and believe me I set a high bar. Love Life Care meets that high bar."