The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has upgraded the rating of 1st Homecare Solutions Ltd in Leighton Buzzard from good to outstanding following an inspection in September.

1st Homecare Solutions, run by a company of the same name, is a domiciliary home care service which provides personal and social care to people living in their own homes.

CQC has rated 1st Homecare Solutions Ltd as outstanding for being caring, which improves from good. Safe was re-rated as good and responsive was re-rated as outstanding. Effective and well-led were not inspected on this occasion so retain their previous ratings of good.

Stuart Dunn, CQC’s deputy director for the East of England, said: 

“When we inspected 1st Homecare Solutions, we found staff went above and beyond to care for people, treating them with kindness, compassion and empathy to ensure their needs were identified and met.

“We found staff supported people to manage their day-to-day lives, and they regularly went above and beyond people’s planned arrangements and expectations when providing care. Thanks to their efforts, people either maintained or increased their independence and were able to stay in their own homes.

“It was clear that staff went the extra mile to ensure people were involved in their care, actively listening to those who might experience inequality in their care experience or outcomes. We saw staff help a person who was unable to communicate verbally use a whiteboard to make their own decisions, when it became clear relatives were talking for them instead.

“When people needed help, staff responded quickly and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. When one person fell ill, staff contacted their GP to arrange a visit, preventing the person from going into hospital.

“The service also recognised that using technology was vital for some people to maintain contact with family and friends, but some found it difficult to use and understand. One staff member was happy to support people using the service if they needed support with technology.

“Overall, the care people received from1st Homecare Solutions exceeded expectations and both staff and managers should be incredibly proud of the service and the factors that have led to it becoming outstanding.”

Inspectors found:

  • Staff provided care that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.
  • Staff were exceptional in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity and supported people to maintain their independence.
  • People knew their rights and had control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing.
  • Staff were highly motivated and demonstrated real empathy and compassionate understanding for people.
  • The service supported people to continue with their interests and hobbies, preventing them from becoming socially isolated.
  • Staff had a good understanding of people’s potential risks, such as their mobility and choking.
  • People had access to different forums to raise concerns or give their views about their care.
  • Managers promoted staff wellbeing to enable them to deliver person-centred care.

The report will be published on CQC’s website in the coming days.