Supporting Our Healthcare Assistants To Deliver Outstanding Care
At ellenor, we are proud to have been rated Outstanding overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Inspectors recognised our staff for going “above and beyond” to meet each person’s individual needs, praising the kindness, compassion and dignity shown across every part of our service. We were rated Outstanding for Caring and Responsive, supported by strong teamwork, compassionate leadership and a clear commitment to learning and continually improving the care we provide.
This commitment is reflected in how we support our Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) – colleagues who often spend the most time with patients and families at some of the most important moments in life. To help HCAs feel confident and fully equipped, we have introduced regular refresher training sessions led by Practice Development Facilitator, Sue Marshall and Clinical Education Lead Charlotte Mead.
Sue explained: “The training revisits key practical skills and gives HCAs the tools to support patients safely, whether on our ward or at home. By strengthening confidence and good clinical practice, we can help reduce unnecessary hospital transfers and enable more people to remain in the place that feels right for them. We’ve now built on this approach by delivering End of Life Champions training to external care facilities and agencies. This mirrors the standard of care we provide to our own patients and families, empowering carers and nurses with the confidence, communication skills and empathy needed to support people at the end of life. Ultimately, it helps ensure greater consistency and equality in the care people receive, wherever they call home.”
This work recognises that high-quality end-of-life care relies on communication and confidence as much as clinical skill. Our training equips carers to recognise deterioration early, respond calmly and support families sensitively, helping more people remain where they feel most at home.
We are already seeing the impact of this work in our teams. Read Gina’s story here XXX to see how this training is shaping the evolving role of our Healthcare Assistants.
Our HCAs work alongside nurses, therapists, doctors and volunteers as part of a joined-up approach to patient care. Together, we support people across inpatient care, hospice-at-home, care home settings and through the expanding programme at our new Wellbeing Centre.
From bereavement support and falls prevention to breathlessness management, gentle exercise and creative activities, our services continue to grow in response to the needs of the diverse communities we serve. As we develop these services, we remain committed to supporting our staff to learn, grow and deliver the high-quality, person-centred care that contributed to our Outstanding rating.
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