Testimonials

Staff Ethos

All of the people we spoke with told us that staff were very caring, with a pleasant, compassionate approach. One person said, "They are lovely people…ready and willing to do anything for me." One relative said, "Yes, they have a very good attitude." Another said "[Staff] are very kind. Very good staff. We think the world of them." Another relative said, "They are very good with both of us. I can't hear very well and they are very patient with me." A fourth relative described staff as, "Very compassionate and understanding."

 

Going the Extra Mile

Staff told us how they built trusting and supportive relationships with people, telling us about their preferences and personalities. They demonstrated that they knew people they cared for very well, and were able to tell us about their personalities, families and preferences. A staff member told us, "We're all working for the same cause…respect. Staff always go the extra mile."

 

Taking their Time

People told us that staff had enough time to spend chatting with them and this enhanced their well-being. One person said, "They do all I need. Especially having a cup of tea and a chat with me…that is really good for me."  One staff member said, "I've spent extra time after work with people, they love someone to talk to." We found that this approach to the unrushed care and ensuring the time spent with people to interact, was consistent across the staff team, and ingrained in the culture of the organisation.

 

Staff Go Above and Beyond

The support that staff offered went beyond that of their duties when some people left the organisation. One staff member said, "We'll go out of work time and visit people if they move into a care home." They said people found it reassuring to see a familiar face when they moved, and it helped them settle into their new surroundings. They said, "We do these extras because we really do care about [people]."

 

Dignity and Respect

Without exception, people told us that staff treated them with dignity and respect. One person told us, "They are ever so polite and very respectful." A relative explained how the staff treated their relative, who was living with dementia, with dignity and respect when they became distressed. They said that staff knew how to reassure their relative and were very effective at communicating with them. One staff member explained how they supported people to maintain privacy as much as possible during personal care.

 

Training and Staffing

All of the people we spoke with said that they felt safe with the staff from Nightingale, one saying, "I feel very safe with them [staff]." All of the staff we spoke with understood what different types of abuse there were, and how they would report any concerns. They were also aware of who they could report any concerns to outside of the organisation should they need to. We saw that they had received training in this area.

 

Effective Staffing

There were enough staff to deliver the service effectively. Everyone we spoke with who used the service told us staff never rushed them and they stayed for their whole visit. At all times there was a member of staff 'on call' to allow for any last minute changes.

 

Medicines

All staff were trained in administering medicines. Staff assisted some people to take their medicines during visits, and other people were prompted with their medicines. One person said, "I take my own but they always check I have taken them." Other people said that staff supported them to take them, and others managed their own medicines.  We spoke with one relative who told us staff administered their relative’s medicines and they said they had never had a problem. Staff were competent to administer medicines if they needed to and all had received training.

 

Induction Training

We spoke with one newer member of staff who told us about their induction. They had not worked in care before, and told us that they felt confident and able to carry out their role effectively once they had undergone induction. They told us that they had shadowed staff, and had only gone out on their own once they felt comfortable to. They said that the whole team was extremely supportive towards them and they felt confident to ask for help if they were unsure about anything.  The service had a three month probation period, within which they assessed staff member's performance. Staff felt supported and received supervisions regularly, where they could discuss any problems and their role in general, with a senior member of staff.

 

Support with Healthcare Services

Where needed, staff ensured they assisted people to access healthcare services. One person told us, "They take me to the doctor's surgery when I have an appointment." A relative gave us an example of how a staff member supported their relative, following discharge from hospital, to obtain more painkillers as the person had not been able to do this themselves.

 

End of Life Care

The staff were understanding and compassionate when providing end of life care. They gave us an example of the care and support they gave to one relative of a person receiving end of life care, and how this had supported them with empathy to cope with this. A staff member explained how they supported families emotionally when they were finding their situations difficult. The registered manager told us they were organising for more staff to undertake training in palliative care so that they would be able to support more people at home at the end of their lives.

 

Responsive Services

The service was responsive. People told us that staff were flexible and adaptable with regard to any unexpected changes. One person told us, "[Staff] are just led by me." A relative said, "[Staff] are very reliable." One relative also told us how one staff member had altered all of their shifts last minute. This was following a fall that had led to the person becoming injured and acquiring higher care needs. This meant their relative needed 24 hour care following discharge from hospital, and the carer lived in for five days. Another relative told us, "[Relative] has a care plan. Staff do everything she needs doing. It is reviewed regularly." Another relative explained how carers had adapted well to changes in their family member's mobility.

 

Our Offices

One person using the service told us, "They're [office staff] very efficient." Another said, "I think they always answer the phone promptly. They do everything they can to help." People and staff knew who the registered manager was and found the staff in the office to be helpful with any requests.

All of the people and relatives we spoke with confirmed that they knew who was coming to them in advance. One person explained, "They are usually the same [staff members].Unless someone is off sick or on holiday." A relative confirmed, "We get a list each week. They usually stick to it." The people and relatives we spoke with said that the service was well-organised.