Dhek Bhal is a Good-rated domiciliary care service specialising in culturally appropriate support for South Asian adults in Bristol, with particular strengths in person-centred, culturally competent care and strong, values-driven leadership. Minor administrative gaps in risk assessment documentation and audit depth were identified but promptly addressed during the inspection.
Concerns (3)
minor
Record keeping
: “Although risks were regularly reviewed and changes documented, the separate risk assessment forms were not always updated.”
minorGovernance: “We highlighted to the registered manager that the content of the medicines audit was brief. They planned to review the content to ensure checks were comprehensive.”
minorGovernance: “Some policies needed reviewing to ensure they remained up to date. We discussed this with the registered manager, and the necessary reviews had begun.”
Strengths
· Staff shared the culture, language, values and beliefs of South Asian people they supported, enabling meaningful choice and independence.
· Very clear vision and strong values focused on human rights, dignity and informed choice, with leaders consistently leading by example.
· People were usually supported by regular staff who knew them well, with strong long-term relationships fostering wellbeing.
· Effective partnership working with a wide range of agencies locally and nationally to share best practice and improve outcomes.
· Staff wellbeing actively supported through wellbeing activity sessions, days out and counselling.
Dhek Bhal is a Bristol-based homecare charity providing culturally appropriate personal care to 22 people, predominantly from South Asian communities, with strong person-centred practice, effective safeguarding, and well-supported staff. A minor shortcoming was identified in the level of detail recorded in daily care notes, which the registered manager agreed to address.
Concerns (1)
minorRecord keeping: “the level of detail recorded in the daily records were not detailed enough and included entries such as 'x was having back pain today'... There was no indication of how the care worker dealt with the concerns.”
Strengths
· Culturally and linguistically appropriate care: staff matched to people by language and culture, including Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi and Arabic speakers
· Strong safeguarding awareness: staff demonstrated knowledge of safeguarding and whistle-blowing policies, and reported concerns appropriately to local authority
· Robust safe recruitment procedures including DBS checks, references, and structured interview assessments
· Personalised care plans reviewed regularly with involvement of people using the service; consent documented and held in the home
· Regular staff supervision, comprehensive induction, and ongoing training programme in place
Dhek Bhal received a Good rating across all five key questions at its January 2016 inspection, with particular strengths in culturally competent care for South Asian communities and person-centred planning. Minor issues were noted around inconsistent use of PPE by staff and a lack of clarity in the supervision policy regarding frequency.
Concerns (2)
minorInfection control: “one relative said, they noticed that sometimes staff did not wear apron and gloves, which they felt was inappropriate and may put people at risk of infection.”
minorSupervision / appraisal: “the supervision policy was not clear about frequency of supervision for staff to make easier for provider to verify and to monitor.”
Strengths
· People felt safe and staff arrived on time, with regular staff allocated to ensure continuity of care.
· Staff demonstrated strong knowledge of adult safeguarding, MCA principles, and people's individual needs.
· Care plans were personalised, regularly reviewed, and developed with involvement of people and their relatives.
· Staff were kind, caring, and culturally competent, supporting people's religious, linguistic, and cultural needs.
· Clear management structure with regular audits, spot checks, and quality monitoring systems in place.
Dhek Bhal is a domiciliary care agency serving the South Asian community in Bristol, rated Good across all five key questions at its April 2018 inspection. The service demonstrated strong safeguarding practices, person-centred care, cultural competency, and committed leadership with no breaches of regulation identified.
Strengths
· Staff demonstrated strong safeguarding knowledge and received regular refresher training from external trainers
· Safe medicines management with regular audits, staff training and up-to-date guidance
· People built warm, trusting relationships with consistent care staff who knew them well
· Culturally competent service tailored to South Asian community, including advocacy for those for whom English is not their first language
· Highly accessible and committed registered manager with in-depth knowledge of each person supported