Highlands Care Ltd

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• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. People received individualised care tailored to their preferences.

People told us the care and support they received was personalised to suit them and their needs. People told us they had regular care staff, who knew them well. A relative told us, “[Loved one] has a lot going on and in and out of hospital. This combination has made it very difficult to establish a rapport with [loved one], but they [staff] have done so well. They are gentle and use a lot of distraction techniques which is clever of them.” Another relative commented, “They [staff] are very observant and always make sure that they respond to things.”

Staff treated people as individuals and identified and supported their specific needs and wishes. Care plans reflected people’s individual preferences, life histories and wishes.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People and their relatives told us that they benefitted from the involvement of a range of health and social care professionals, with staff following guidance to deliver coordinated, person-centred care. A relative told us, “They [staff] know [loved one] and if [loved one] is off colour then they notice and they let me know straight away. The registered manager will also phone me and say that she will pop in to see [loved one] and they would phone for a doctor or an ambulance if it was ever necessary.” Another relative commented, “I feel that their [registered manager] knowledge is excellent. They are a totally different level to other care agencies. The registered manager and I talked about end of life care and future planning for [loved one] but I told her that I'd already made contact with the local hospice as I wanted to let them know [loved ones] wishes.

The registered manager told us they worked closely with families, GP’s, district nurses, hospital teams and community professionals to ensure good continuity of care for people.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People’s communication methods were assessed and recorded in their care records.

The registered manager told us that information was provided to people in formats they understood for example large print. They told us if people required information in a different language or in Braille this would be made available to them.

People and their relatives confirmed they had access to relevant information, including care plans and the providers service user guide.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

The service had effective systems and processes in place to ensure people knew how to give feedback about their care and support, including how to raise any concerns or issues. A person told us, “I feel that they [staff] are open to hear comments whether positive or negative.” Another person commented, “I think that the manager leads the organisation very well. She is very good and will ring me up to see how I am. If I had any problems, I'd have no hesitation talking to her and she always says to me ‘I'm here if you need me’.”

The provider had a complaints procedure. The complaints procedure was available in formats that people could understand. The registered manager told us they had not received any complaints, however, if they did, they would follow the complaints procedure and keep the complainant fully informed throughout. The registered manager told us they regularly spoke with people on the telephone to ask them about their care, and conducted spot checks on staff to make sure staff were providing safe and appropriate care.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

People told us staff supported them when required to access and receive care that met their individual needs and preferences. Staff worked with people and their relatives in planning for their care and support. Staff worked to help remove barriers to accessing health and social care services by working closely with a range of professionals. These included GP’s, occupational therapists and community nursing teams. A person told us, “They [staff] wouldn't start the care until the manual handling plan was in place by the occupational therapists. They are very careful and very professional.”

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

The registered manager told us they actively listened to people and their families about how they liked to be supported. Staff worked to achieve desired outcomes by recognising individuality and people’s different needs, circumstances and protected characteristics. Staff provided care that was personalised so people could achieve outcomes in safety, well-being and independence.

People’s diverse needs were respected. The provider had policies and procedures regarding equality and diversity, and staff had received training to understand this. A person told us, “[Loved one] goes to church and is interested in this and [staff] is very interested and asks them questions and gives [loved one] time to talk about that side of their life.”

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

People and their relatives had opportunities to discuss their future wishes and for information to be recorded in their care plans were chosen.

The registered manager who was a registered nurse, told us that when required, they would work closely with the person, their relatives, GPs and other palliative care professionals to ensure people’s needs and choices were met and respected.