Mulberry Court

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 Requires Improvement. At this assessment the rating has remained/changed to 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.

There were effective processes to understand people’s needs and wishes before they were offered a service. People’s health, social and emotional needs were assessed before they moved to the service. This included information about how people communicated their needs, their specific medical conditions and how they liked to spend their time. These assessments were used to develop the person’s care plans, associated risk assessments and make the decisions about the staff skills needed to support them.

Relatives told us they were involved in people’s assessments. People’s support plans were kept under review. One relative told us, “[Relative] went there for respite and chose to stay.”

One staff member said, “The core source that guides us in knowing the people we support are their individual care plans which are constantly updated to meet who the person is.”

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.

Care plans highlighted any specific risks, and recognised assessment tools were used to support the management and monitoring of care. This helped staff identify and respond to risks promptly, including risks associated with skin integrity and pressure damage. A visiting health professional said, “We have no concerns about people here.”

Staff knew people well and worked effectively with visiting professionals, such as GPs and specialist nurses, to support and manage people’s health needs. They followed the advice provided by these professionals. This collaborative approach helped ensure people received consistent, well-informed care, supporting better health outcomes and promoting their overall wellbeing.

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.

Effective communication and positive joint working were in place between the service and external professionals to support people with their care and treatment.

People were supported to access a range of external healthcare services, including specialist professionals and hospital outpatient appointments. During the assessment, evidence was seen of staff adjusting a person's care arrangements to enable them to attend an outpatient appointment. Staff made timely and appropriate referrals for additional support. Advice from professionals was clearly recorded and followed. This approach helped ensure people received timely, coordinated care, reducing delays in treatment and supported better health outcomes and overall wellbeing.

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.

People were encouraged to maintain their independence, and staff supported them to make choices and have control over their daily lives. Whilst there was good practice in managing health conditions and partnership working with other professionals, improvements could be made when it came to activities on offer. There was an activity coordinator in place and whilst there were opportunities on offer these did not appear to be widely taken up by people using the service. This is important as stimulating activities contribute to physical, social, emotional and mental wellbeing.

However, 1 person said, “I was underweight when I came here because I had been ill and wasn’t eating. The staff encourage me to eat and weigh me every week to see that I am putting weight back on.” This meant the person’s health was improving.

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.

People experienced positive outcomes as a result of the care and support provided by staff. People’s care and support were regularly reviewed to ensure their assessed needs were met and expected outcomes achieved. Systems were in place to monitor the care and support provided to people to ensure this remained effective.

One staff member said, “We promote independence by supporting and encouraging the people we support to do as much as they can by themselves, such tasks like brushing hair, brushing their teeth. I have had a [person] asking to help me to rinse dishes and load them into the dishwasher and they have safely assisted with the chore a few times which [they] found joy in doing.”
 

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

The provider had systems to ensure the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) was applied effectively, supporting people who lacked capacity to make specific decisions about their care. Where more complex decisions were required, relatives and individuals with Power of Attorney were appropriately involved.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We observed staff gaining consent and explaining the support they were providing before assisting people, helping individuals feel involved, respected, and reassured. Support was delivered at each person’s own pace and in line with their preferences, with staff offering guidance and assistance with decision-making where needed.

People told us they felt heard and staff respected their individual choices. The provider ensured people’s rights and freedoms were upheld in accordance with legislation and best practice. Oneperson said, “They [staff] always knock on my door before entering and ask if I am ready to get washed.”