Harwood House

On this page

• 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 provider met people’s needs.At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 manager and the staff made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices. They worked together and with people to respond to any relevant changes in the people’s needs. The staff team worked together to ensure people could receive the most appropriate care and treatment for them as the service made reasonable adjustments where necessary. People were supported to remain in control of the care and support delivered to them and included their families as part of the process. People and relatives told us they were happy with the quality of care they received. People’s plans of care included information regarding their physical, mental, emotional and social needs and how to support them. Staff understood the importance of providing individual and co-ordinated care and support that would have positive effects for people.

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. The manager and the staff team understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. Staff told us they kept used daily handovers to record and discuss people’s needs, activities and any other matters to pick up and to keep everyone involved up to date. Relatives were positive about people receiving continued care based on their needs. People received care and support that was co-ordinated, and everyone worked well together. People’s care and treatment was delivered in a way that met their assessed needs and responded to the changes. People’s records were kept so staff could share information with other professionals, as required, to aid continuity of care, support, and treatment.

The manager and the staff supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. The manager was aware of the Accessible Information Standard (AIS) and understood their responsibilities in relation to it. AIS has been in place since 2016 onwards all organisations that provide publicly funded adult social care are legally required to follow the AIS. The standard was introduced to make sure people are given information in a way they can understand. The standard applies to all people with a disability, impairment or sensory loss and in some circumstances to their carers. Staff agreed they had access to all the information they needed to provide safe and effective care and support. They kept in regular communication with people, their families and the manager to ensure it supported people’s rights and choices. The relative noted, “Yes anytime I ask there is someone to answer my question and any significant changes they will contact me.” The service identified people’s information and communication needs by assessing them and providing information to suit those needs. Staff were aware how to help people communicate their wishes, requests and feelings. For example, one person who was not always able to express themselves verbally, they were supported to communicate by lip reading.

The manager and the staff made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people and relatives in decisions about their care and communicated with them regularly. People and relatives were able to speak to staff or managers to raise any queries or concerns. Staff told us how they supported people and relatives if they had any issues or queries. The manager took feedback and any concerns seriously and would use this as an opportunity to review and improve the quality of the service. The manager also encouraged everyone to share any issues or concerns so they could capture and address any issues in a timely way. There were a few complaints ongoing at the time of the assessment with appropriate actions taken. The manager provided us with information about how they had been managing it including communication with different parties involved.

The manager and the staff team made sure people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People’s needs were monitored appropriately to ensure their health needs were responded to promptly if any changes occurred. The manager and the staff team worked together to oversee their needs and respond effectively. Staff knew when to take action promptly, keep the manager and colleagues informed and make referrals to other health and well-being professionals to address any issues with their health or changing needs. The manager did not feel they had any barriers to access services such as dental, vision, hearing. People were able to choose to receive it in the service or go out to see professionals as needed. This helped the care for people’s health and wellbeing be proactive and organised well.

The manager and the staff 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. People’s care, treatment and support were organised and managed in a way that promoted equality and ensured their rights were protected. People and relatives were supported to give their views about their experience to ensure they had a positive experience while using the service. The manager and the staff team were in regular communication with people and relatives to ensure any issues or queries were picked up and addressed without delay. Staff supported and empowered people to make daily decisions about their care. Staff and relatives noted they had not experienced any discrimination. Relatives were positive about their experience in the service. They said, “No, quite frankly without the mixture of people we have, the home would fall down – They are all very friendly and respectful to each other and the residents” and “No, I have never witnessed or noticed anything like that at all.”

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 were supported to make informed choices about their care and plan their future care with support from families and the staff team. People and relatives had reviews of their support and plans of care. The staff and the manager helped people make informed choices about their care and plan their future including support with end-of-life care. Where needed, health professionals were involved to discuss with people regarding their plans and what was important to them. At the admission stage, one of the forms included plans for the future and how people wanted to be supported. Plans for their end of life care was an ongoing conversation. One staff said, “I think we are all quite hard working, and we care. Caring isn’t a job you can do if you don’t care – our staff do and they know their residents. I am very aware someone may well end their life here and we want to make sure those last years are of as good quality as possible.”