Helping Hands Gateshead

Updated 5 June 2024

Helping Hands – Gateshead is a service registered to provide personal care to individuals living in their own homes and they primarily offer services to older people. 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. At the time of the inspection there were 26 people were using the service who received personal care. We carried out an onsite and offsite assessment. Activity started on 6 June and ended on 4 July 2024. We gathered information from people using the service, relatives, the registered manager, office staff, care workers and from health and social care professionals involved with the service. We looked at all 34 quality statements. We found people were very happy with the service and reported staff were good at their jobs. People found staff treated them with dignity and kindness. Staff were passionate about providing good care outcomes and took ownership of their practice. Staff felt the registered manager empowered them to be compassionate, give people all the time they needed and treat each person as an individual. The registered manager had developed a culture based on constant reflection and learning, which led to people experiencing positive outcomes from the support they received. This had led to people receiving very flexible care packages, which were tailored to their exact needs. They understood people's needs and how to manage any presenting risks. Staff sought people’s views about how to support them and, when appropriate, relatives were included in discussions about the support being offered. Recruitment practices were meeting requirements. There were enough staff to deliver the care packages and systems were in place to ensure people new to the service could be supported with adequate numbers of staff. The management team had created a robust governance system, which rapidly identified issues and concerns.

Updated 5 June 2024

An assessor contacted people and relatives. People reported interactions between staff and them was positive. People found the care package met their needs. They found staff were competent, caring and treated people in a dignified manner. A relative said, “As a family, we are very happy with the care [person’s name] has received from Helping Hands. [Person’s name] began using the service in December and was quite reluctant at the beginning but soon settled and bonded with a lovely carer. We did not realise until the recent 6 monthly review meeting with [the registered manager], that [the carer] had been placed with [person’s name] because they had worked with SEN children in the past and they would have something in common. We were very impressed with [the registered manager’s] careful consideration when placing carers to ensure a good match.” People were at the centre of their care and support. They felt involved in all aspects of the design of the care package and how it was delivered. People felt their views were closely listened to and their suggestions acted upon. A person said, “The time is ample to give a relaxed experience. Care is taken to risk manage all stages with any foreseen problems being discussed and resolved upfront.” They found the manager and office staff were very approachable and ensured care was delivered in a person-centred manner. Staff worked effectively as a team and with services to support people.