Helping Hands Halifax

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.

People's experience of using this service and what we found:

Before a person started using the service, their needs were comprehensively assessed, including information about people's personal preferences.

Staff working in the service were confident with difference. Equality and diversity training had been provided. Staff talked with us about how they would always seek to get to know a person when they first started using the service including relationships that were important. This helped to shape how care and support would be provided in a way that was personalised to the individual.

Staff received effective induction, training and supervision to ensure they were skilled and competent to carry out their roles. Staff told us that they felt supported.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People who used the service had been fully involved in developing their own care plan and were involved in agreeing any changes with staff. Staff were knowledgeable about people's needs.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people's needs. People told us they received care and support when they needed it and staff were punctual and did not rush.

The provider had well established systems and processes which sought to protect people from the risk of abuse. Staff received safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and respond to signs of abuse. People who used the service told us they felt safe.

Where support with medicines was part of an assessed care need, these were managed safely. This included systems for ordering, storage, administration and disposal.

Systems for audit, quality assurance, and questioning of practice were operated effectively.

Helping Hands was a values-based organisation which created a culture that was open, honest, inclusive and transparent. People who used the service were consistent in describing the local branch in these terms.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk