Bloom & Care Limited

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

As part of this assessment, we looked at 5 quality statements for the key question of caring. These were kindness, compassion, and dignity, treating people as individuals, independence, choice and control, responding to people’s immediate needs and workforce wellbeing and enablement. People were treated with great kindness, empathy and compassion and their privacy and dignity was always maintained. Staff treated people as individuals and made sure their care and support fully met their individual needs in line with their preferences. People’s independence was always encouraged and promoted ensuring they had choice and control over their care and support. Staff knew people very well and took time to observe, communicate and engage people in discussions about their immediate care needs. The support and wellbeing of staff was promoted to enable them to always deliver person centred care.

This service scored 100 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

All people and relatives we spoke with told us they received exceptional, compassionate care and staff were kind and went over and above their roles. One person said, “I look forward to the girls coming, they are all so happy and cheerful and it’s like a natural tonic.” Another told us, "I think the service is excellent and feel fortunate to have them to look after me.” Relatives echoed these sentiments. One relative commented, "I know we can trust the carers to look after [family member] when we go away on holiday and if they have any problems, they will sort it for us. That is going over and above what I think is their daily job, it's exceptional care and gives us peace of mind.” Another relative said, "The care that my [family member] gets is excellent. The girls are all wonderful and nothing is too much trouble. We are so happy with how they look after [family member]. We could not have come this far as a family without them."

The providers core values highlighted respect, dedication, dignity, integrity, teamwork, compassion, equality, and communication. Staff we spoke with were fully aware of the core values of the service and were passionate about their jobs. Their care and support reflected the providers core values. One staff member said, "I love my job. It's so satisfying seeing someone reach their goals or just making sure a person is living their best life. I have worked with some people for several years and we are like friends." We were told about 1 person who was admitted into hospital and staff always visited in between their care visits. The person highlighted to a member of staff that they wanted a hair wash because it would make them feel better. However, the staff on the ward were very busy and the person did not want to ask them. The staff member, in between their care visits, popped in and supported the person to wash their hair which resulted in the person feeling much better. The providers core values were embedded into staff practice and also their personal actions. For example, 1 person was alone on Christmas Day. Their family did not live close so were unable to visit and this was their first Christmas after losing a close family member. A staff member offered their company on Christmas Day and the two of them attended a local pub for their Christmas Day lunch together.

People told us that without any exceptions all staff treated them as individuals and said their care had been discussed with them and delivered in line with their preferences. Staff had a can-do approach to supporting people with new goals. For example, 1 person had sustained an acquired brain injury and had been supported by the same staff member for a long time. They had had to leave their place of employment they had loved. The staff member contacted a similar local establishment and the two of them now attended once a week to take part in activities. This had increased the person's confidence and as a result they had become more inclined to go out and about. One person told us, "The carers do what's best for me and not what's best for the business. I am treated as an individual and they listen to me. I have a particular routine and they respect that and all my little quirks." A relative told us. "I know they encourage [family member] to do what they can for themselves. They have, as a company realised that if the staff are consistent then the better the progress. Everything is geared to what [family member] needs and wants. We couldn't ask for any more than that."

Detailed care plans were focused solely on the individual with person centred care being the main emphasis, ensuring that people were treated as individuals. Topics of interests were a big part of the initial assessment and re-assessment process which were discussed face to face with people and families. Information was sought in relation to people’s preferred lifestyles, their cultural and unique backgrounds, the people that were important to them and the different hobbies and interests they enjoyed. Information was also sought about people’s preferred routines and the ways in which their care would fit into their lives rather than their lives having to change because they now required care and support. This meant people’s care was delivered in a holistic and person-centred way.

Staff fully understood the importance of promoting equality and diversity. Care plans contained comprehensive information about people's cultural and religious beliefs and their personal relationships with their circle of support. The registered manager told us the service was based in a multi-cultural town whereby some people had different cultural backgrounds and their primary language was not English. The provider offered any information to be translated into their choice of language. We saw that staff had put together a cookbook for 1 person who ate a diet that met their cultural needs, so that staff could support them to cook their favourite dishes. One person explained how the provider had needed to change the times of their calls. They commented, "They discussed this with me first and asked if it would be alright. It's things like this that make them different from other companies. Other companies would have changed the time without me being asked, this is why I am so happy. It's about me, what I think matters and it’s not all about them."

People were fully encouraged to maintain their independence and do as much as they could for themselves. For example, we saw that 1 person was supported to plan, shop, prepare and cook their own meals. Their relative told us, “It’s a very good service and I can’t fault anything or anyone. It's the little things like when the staff write down notes for [family member] to remind them of what is for dinner, and they put the dates on some food items so [family member] knows it's safe to eat.” A relative told us, “We work together with the carers to make sure any risks are lessened. My [family member] lacks the motivation to do things. The carers really have a knack of getting [family member] to do things for themselves, which in turn makes [family member] realise what they are capable of doing." People confirmed they were fully involved in their care and support. One person said, "I am always informed, and I always have the last say about how my care should be." A relative commented, "We are fully involved. We are listened to, and we have a voice, and our views and opinions are always respected."

People were fully supported to understand their rights by using different ways to communicate so they were able to make decisions about their care and have a voice. People’s communication needs were thoroughly assessed before a care package commenced. One member of staff had a level 2 qualification in sign language so would be able to support someone who used that preferred method of communication. The registered manager informed us that for some people living with dementia the service had produced their own symbol cards that, with consent, had been attached to items, drawers and doors to help people remember where items were kept and guided them to each room. The provider had also produced a step-by-step guide for 1 person who found symbols easier to understand than the written word.

Staff had an exceptional understanding of protecting and respecting people's human rights ensuring they were able to make decisions about their care, treatment, and wellbeing. Staff received training about equality and diversity. One staff member told us, "We make sure everyone has the maximum control they need to make decisions and choices about their care. That maybe with support from families or by using particular ways of communicating but it’s all about giving people the right to make their own choices." Feedback from a health professional read, "We pride ourselves on not ‘doing to’ but ‘providing for’ and enabling the person to thrive, and in a similar fashion Bloom and Care share this philosophy allowing clients to have the independence, freedom and involvement to provide the best care at home."

People felt that staff knew them exceptionally well and were able to engage people in discussions about their immediate needs. One relative told us, "The carers listen to us, and if [family member] is feeling out of sorts or unwell they will always contact me, and if necessary, the doctor. [Family member] once had a fall and the carer stayed with [family member] until the paramedics arrived. I know the carers will deal with any emergencies in the most professional way."

The registered manager informed us that as part of the induction training and refresher training, staff covered recognising and minimising discomfort and distress'. One staff member told us, "The training is very good, and we are very well prepared to deal with emergencies. The training gives us the confidence to deal with emergency situations effectively and without panic." The registered manager commented, "We reach out to appropriate members of the (Multi-Disciplinary Team) MDT such as the Dementia Specialist team, GP’s and the Diabetic specialist nurses when situations become difficult to manage. Their support and expertise help support us with immediate concerns and distress to ensure our clients are supported as soon as possible to lessen any discomfort, anxiety and distress." There were crisis care plans for falls, diabetes, stroke, epilepsy, and distressed behaviours. The registered manager informed us, "These are in place to ensure our staff are aware of how to deal with a client’s immediate needs that could result in an uncomfortable and distressing situation." This meant that staff were trained and prepared to recognise when people needed urgent help or support.

There was a strong organisational commitment and effective action to ensure there was equality and inclusion across the workforce. For example, the provider had introduced a care workforce app which included free access to wellbeing resources. The provider had implemented a menopause policy following feedback from staff. Staff were also signposted to the Menopause Support Hub. There was a suggestion box where staff could submit anonymous suggestions that could be discussed in team meetings and had implemented suggestions made by staff. For example, 1 staff member suggested having less e-learning and more face-to-face training which had been implemented. There was also a staff member new to the service who wanted to provide further feedback after their induction period, so the provider produced an induction feedback form for future staff. There were leaflets in the office from the Bedfordshire Wellbeing Service which signposted staff members to making a positive difference through talking therapies.

People benefited from staff who had regular opportunities to provide feedback about the service, raise any concerns and give their views about how to improve the service. For example, 1 staff member said, "We have regular supervision and in our team meetings the management always tell us their door is always open for anything work related or any personal life troubles." The registered manager commented, "In the past we have signposted staff for other support and counselling when it was required." There was a 'mental first aider' who was the point of contact for any employee who maybe experiencing a mental health issue or emotional distress. We spoke with the mental health aider who told us, "I support and signpost any staff who need support with their mental wellbeing. I also have resources which I can share. They call me the 'works mamma' and I'm happy for them to think of me as a source of support."