People in Action - Old Hinckley Road

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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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 prior to them moving into the home to ensure these could be met safely. People and their relatives where appropriate had been involved in planning their care and reviews.

People’s care records were person centred and included important information about their life history, past experiences and how the person wished to be supported, their likes, dislikes and any routines which were important to them.

An assessment of their needs included for example, communication, health, mobility and emotional needs. People also had regular check-ups with health and social care professionals.

Care records were regularly reviewed to ensure they reflected any changes in people’s needs or preferences.

Feedback shared from a health care professional who worked closely with the service was, “I feel confident the home, particularly when led by the registered manager and deputy, is a caring and supportive environment where all the staff know the residents and their needs well. They respond to medical concerns promptly and appropriately. Specifically, I have seen a resident whom I have known from a previous place of care really thrive since being at Old Hinckley Road."

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.

The provider used recognised tools to assess and identify risks to providing people’s care and support, including to assess the risk of skin damage, malnutrition and to identify and monitor signs of distress, people may display to indicate they were experiencing discomfort or pain.

Staff had received training related to people’s health conditions to ensure they could support the person safely, for example epilepsy and swallowing difficulties.

The service worked closely with health and social care professionals to ensure they delivered care safely. Care records incorporated professional guidance for staff to follow to ensure people’s care was delivered as directed and in line with evidence-based practice.

Feedback shared from a health care professional who worked closely with the service was, “The service does proactive planning where appropriate such as advanced care planning with the multidisciplinary teams to ensure care needs are clear and patient centred."

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.

Relatives told us they were happy with the support provided and were kept informed about any changes to their loved ones needs. One relative told us, “I feel blessed to have [Person] at this home, the staff and management provide me with great relief and comfort.” Another relative said, “I have no issues with the service or any of the staff and would recommend it to others.”

Hospital passports were in place for any hospital appointments or admissions. These contained key information about the person’s risks, health, and preferences to support hospital staff understand the person’s needs and provide personalised, tailored care to the individual.

Care records showed when health and social care professionals had been contacted to discuss a person’s care and the outcome of these discussions.

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 and relatives were happy with the support received. One person said, “Staff talk to me and check I am happy and if any changes need to be looked at.” A relative told us, “I am happy with how much weight [Person] has lost, due to a healthier diet and the exercise they are doing, particularly swimming.”

People’s care records included information of their health conditions. They included information about symptoms staff needed to respond to promptly including contact details for the appropriate healthcare professional.

Staff confirmed they had the information they needed to care for people effectively. One staff member said, “We are constantly updating care plans to ensure they capture any changes in the person needs and to make sure we provide the best support possible.”

Care records showed referrals had been made to healthcare professionals when needed to promote people’s safety and wellbeing.

Feedback shared from a health care professional who worked closely with the service was, “We work together to ensure medicines are appropriate and relevant protocols are in place to aid clarity of treatments. Other members of staff such as key workers are involved in decision making for residents with support from the management staff which I find helpful as the keyworkers sometimes add an additional nuanced angle."

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.

Relatives spoke positively about staff describing them as, ‘well trained’, ‘proactive’ and ‘knowledgeable’. Without exception, relatives were confident staff would note any changes and respond quickly to ensure people received the appropriate medical advice. Examples shared were identifying early signs of any changes in the person’s ability to swallow food safely.

Processes were in place to monitor the care and support people received. Where people had risks identified with their health, care records detailed outcomes and any monitoring required to ensure their needs were safely met. For example, in relation to skin integrity, nutrition and their mental wellbeing.

Where needed staff completed records to evidence the monitoring of for example, dietary intakes and behavioural changes. This enabled staff to monitor people closely and identify if their needs were being met or when a change was needed to improve an outcome.

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

People told us, and we saw staff worked within the principles of the MCA by seeking people’s consent prior to supporting them. One person told us, “I can have a drink or something to eat whenever I want to. I chose what I want to do and if I want to go out.”

The registered manager and staff understood the importance of consent and assuming people had capacity to make decisions about their care and support under the MCA.

Staff confirmed they had received training about the requirements of the MCA and demonstrated an understanding of its principles. One staff member told us, “Never assume, always ask even if the resident can’t speak to you. Because we know our residents we can tell from the way they respond (body language and vocal sounds)."