Archived: Northbrook

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. The providers assessments emphasised the importance of treating people with respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities.

Staff had a thorough understanding of people’s needs and worked collaboratively with them to provide tailored support. They had the time and opportunity to build meaningful relationships, ensuring continuity of care, which was a key strength of the service. People were actively involved in planning and reviewing their care. The manager said, “We are always conducting reviews and assessments as this helps ensure we have sufficient time to meet people’s needs”. The provider had established arrangements to secure advocacy support for individuals when required.

Relatives and external partners expressed confidence in the service’s ability to assess and respond to people’s needs promptly and appropriately.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

Training for staff was comprehensive and aligned with current legislation and best practice. For example, training incorporated best practice guidance on Positive Behavioural Support (PBS). This supported staff to understand what people’s behaviour meant so they could support people in such a way that protected their human rights with limited restrictions. Staff conducted risk assessments and applied interventions in the least restrictive way to ensure people were safe.

People’s nutrition and hydration needs were effectively met, with specialist guidance sought when required, including input from Speech and Language Therapy.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

The provider collaborated effectively with a range of external partners, including participation in multidisciplinary team meetings when required, to ensure coordinated and comprehensive support for people.

Staff demonstrated strong teamwork, working flexibly and compassionately to support one another. Leaders consistently modelled the caring and person-centred approach expected of the team, reinforcing the culture of respect and professionalism throughout the service.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

The service effectively supported people to improve and maintain their health by encouraging informed decision-making and providing tailored guidance. Staff monitored changes in people’s health and wellbeing and arranged timely GP, dental, hospital and mental health appointments. Easy-read materials and preparation sessions helped people understand the purpose of their healthcare visits, reducing anxiety and improving engagement.

People were encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles through balanced meal planning, cooking support and participation in physical activities. Staff promoted preventative care by supporting vaccinations, annual health checks and medication reviews.

People were supported to manage their mental and emotional wellbeing through regular key-worker sessions, personalised coping strategies and positive behaviour support. Staff respected people’s choices and independence, offering accessible information so they could make informed decisions about their health.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

The service actively monitored people’s health and used this information to improve outcomes. Staff kept clear records of appointments, changes in wellbeing and any emerging risks, which enabled early identification of health issues and timely referrals. Healthy-lifestyle support, such as balanced meal planning, cooking sessions and regular physical activity, was reviewed during key-worker meetings to track progress in areas of physical wellbeing. This monitoring helped residents understand how their choices affected their health and encouraged continued positive behaviour.

Emotional and mental-health support was also regularly reviewed to ensure it remained effective. Staff assessed whether coping strategies were working, updated care plans accordingly and shared relevant information with professionals when needed. This responsive approach helped to reduce people’s anxiety, increased independence and ensured people received care that resulted in measurable improvements to their overall health and quality of life

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

People were supported to exercise maximum choice and control over their lives. Staff provided care in the least restrictive way possible and always acted in the individual’s best interests. Consent was actively sought, and people and their families were involved in decisions regarding care and support.

Mental capacity assessments were conducted on a decision-specific basis, with capacity always assumed unless demonstrated otherwise. Where restrictions were necessary to maintain safety, these were carefully reviewed to ensure all alternative options had been considered. Best interest decisions were made in line with legislation.