- Homecare service
Hales Group Limited - Doncaster
Report from 10 October 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment:9 December 2024 to 4 February 2025. We carried out a visit to the service on 7 December 2025. This service is a care at home service providing support to adults of all ages some of whom are living with dementia, mental health conditions, physical disabilities and sensory impairment. The service is registered for use by autistic people or people with a learning disability. At the time of the assessment, the service was not used by anyone with a learning disability or an autistic person. However, we assessed the care provision under Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture, as it is registered as a specialist service for this population group.
This assessment was undertaken because we had not rated the service since 28 March 2018. We had also received concerns about the staffing and reliability of the service. We found evidence the registered manager had taken effective action to address these concerns. The provider had a learning culture, people could raise concerns and managers investigated incidents thoroughly and took action to improve people’s care experience. People were protected from the risk of abuse and staff helped people to manage risks. There were enough staff who received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. People’s care was assessed and planned with people and their families. The service managed medicines well. There were effective systems for monitoring and improving the quality of the service.
People's experience of this service
Overall, people and their relatives were positive about the care and support they received. They felt safe and were involved in planning their care. Most people and relatives said they received high quality care from staff who treated them as individuals. One relative told us they really appreciated their care team. They said, “There was one time we were at the hospital for several hours waiting for transport and we got back really late. It was too late for our care call. I was stuck and really worried, but then there was a knock at the door. The carers had come back to make sure [my relative] received the care they needed. I wrote to [the registered manager] and told them about the staff going above and beyond.”
People and relatives knew the staff and managers and felt they could express their views. When things did not go well, most people said the management team listened, addressed their concerns and things improved. One relative told us, “They don’t ignore things. I told them about my concerns and [the registered manager] dealt with it. They sorted it out and I am happy with my carers. They come at the right time and stay for the right time, and they are nice.” Most people were complimentary about the service. People told us they were usually cared for by the familiar staff and felt in control of their care. One person said, “They’re all looking after us. Yes, I feel safe. They leave our home clean and tidy. They’re good with dignity. I don’t feel uncomfortable. They’ve had the right training. Very caring.”