Fewcott House Nursing Home

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 Outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 had individual care plans which were regularly reviewed, and care was delivered in line with people’s assessed needs. People and their relatives were involved in planning their care. Staff knew people well, including their likes and dislikes, and we observed staff communicating in ways that met people’s needs.

During the inspection good quality care was observed. A SOFI (Short Observational Framework for Inspection) observation showed positive interactions between staff and people using the service as well as how staff adapted care to meet people’s individual needs.

One person said, “[I am] looking forward to an appointment with the dentist who is coming to see me next week.” This person was bedbound but had been suffering with toothache, the provider had arranged for the dentist to visit them. We observed staff providing this person with soft food because of their toothache. This highlighted the provider’s commitment to person-centred care.

People were supported to access their local community in ways that reflected their individual preferences, experiences and what mattered most to them. The service made reasonable adjustments to ensure people could take part in activities and events that were meaningful in their lives. This included supporting people to visit local shops and the barber, attend important family occasions such as weddings, and participate in community events including Remembrance Day. On Fridays people could attend a coffee morning and food trucks provided different types of food. Community groups also visited the home to enhance people's community involvement. This included a local ukulele group giving concerts and the local football team visiting over Christmas.

Staff provided tailored support to enable people to engage safely and confidently in these activities ensuring their social and emotional needs were met.

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 received care from a range of appropriate health professionals to meet their individual needs and were supported to attend appointments as required.

Support plans clearly identified who was involved in each person’s care and provided guidance on how and when these professionals should be consulted. Staff understood how to escalate changes in people’s needs to ensure timely referrals were made to relevant health services. The registered manager had effective processes in place for making referrals and working collaboratively with other agencies, which helped to promote a consistent and coordinated approach to care.

People’s cultural support needs, including their dietary choices and religious preferences were recorded in their care plans and these plans outlined how staff should support people in line with these needs and preferences.

The registered Manager told us they work with the local community and tree logs have been donated to help the community, since there is an abundance of tree logs in the grounds of Fewcott House Nursing Home. This showed how the provider engaged and helped the local community. People had opportunities to access the local community and participate in activities outside the service. For example, staff supported individuals to travel into Bicester and accompanied a person to a family wedding. In addition, Forget-Me-Knot, a local community charity, was able to visit the service and arrange days out for people using the service. This promoted social inclusion and community engagement.

We received positive feedback from relatives, we heard “Nothing is too much trouble, they [staff] know everything. I can ask anyone anything and they know about [person], what they have eaten, what their day has been like. Over and beyond what I would expect. I get prompted to visit when they achieve new goals to celebrate as well as coming in and being contacted for concerns and information sharing. Very collaborative, I wish I had a team like that, that I worked with.”

Another relative said, “There seemed to be continuity of care on shift and there were certain staff who [person] developed a relationship with who seemed very fond of [person].”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

People’s communication needs were assessed and when people experienced difficulties with hearing or speech for example, care plans reviewed were generally informative and clear. Staff knew which people needed additional support with communication. Staff told us how they met people’s communication needs, including for example, using books to write things down for people. The provider had documents in easy read format for those people who needed them as well as a range of communication aids and strategies which staff are trained to use, such as visual supports and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. When possible staff were available to support people whose first language was not English, in their preferred language.

The provider had a clear process on keeping peoples information secure. A staff member said,“ [GDPR], I have learnt about it on induction. Need to keep information/ data private.”

A relative told us, when asked about how the provider keeps them informed, “I receive emails [for changes in] nursing needs which are written etc so a formal recording is required or a change is made [clear]. But I get phone calls too for day-to-day things. [Provider is] Very transparent.”

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.

People were aware of how to make a complaint and felt comfortable raising concerns if something was not right. The provider’s complaints procedure was freely available, and the home maintained a record of any complaints received. All complaints were thoroughly investigated in line with the provider’s policy. This showed people's complaints were taken seriously.

Staff told us, “I am not aware of any complaint/concerns since joining the service. I do know that they [management] would take things seriously and find a solution.”

One person told us they would speak to the manager if they were unhappy. Relatives also expressed confidence in the management team to respond to any issues raised. One relative said, “Whenever we have any concerns, I contact [registered manager’s name]. They are always very helpful and attentive to us in every matter.” We heard, “Any issues were always taken seriously.” A relative said, “To date, I've had no need to raise a complaint. I believe that any complaint raised would be taken seriously.”

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

People’s needs were assessed before they moved to the service and when people’s needs changed, records showed staff had referred people for appropriate specialist support and advice.

People were treated fairly. The registered manager explained how they worked with other professionals to ensure people had equal access to care. Care records showed individuals had access to a range of health and social care services tailored to their needs. Records showed people were offered choices which staff respected. Where appropriate, people also had access to independent advocates.

Fewcott House had achieved Veteran Friendly Framework(VFF) status. This enabled staff to advocate for veterans to remove barriers and delays for people who might not have equal access to care.

The registered manager told us either the registered manager or deputy manager are always on call and staff know how to contact them. They shared the responsibility and worked well together.

Staff told us, “I haven’t had any issues with this [access to care and equipment by people]– we do our best with every resident to meet their needs.”

A relative told us everything needed for good care is easily accessible.

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.

Information about people’s communication needs, cultural preferences, health conditions and any other factors that might increase the risk of inequality was gathered through initial assessments, regular reviews and ongoing conversations with people and their relatives.

Staff meetings, handovers and feedback helped identify individuals who might need additional support. This range of information enabled staff to tailor care to each person’s circumstances.

When staff were asked about the Equality Act and Human Rights legislation they told us, “There are different aspects to it. Everyone is treated as they want to be treated, even if it is differently. It is there to protect their rights. There is no discrimination going on.”

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.

The service had achieved the gold standards framework in 2024. The framework is an accreditation for care homes, which focuses on providing high-quality, person-centred care for people, who are end of life care. Staff had also attended specialist end of life care training at the local hospice. The provider worked closely with the local hospice to enable people to receive consistent care at the end of their lives.

The deputy manager told us they supported people to set goals and reviewed their progress. We heard examples where people had made progress and made future plans, such as moving out of the home and into a community setting.

One relative told us, “[We have had] discussions about end of life planning, progression of illness and [the person’s] pathway for end of life etc. It’s all in place and we have talked at length about peace and comfort. Compassion towards me was amazing. They [provider] made time for me to talk about death, funeral plans etc, so the help I have had is amazing, I now have a plan in place which I didn’t have before.[Person is] protected.”