Sheerwater 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 requires improvement. 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 told us they were involved in any decisions about their care and support. Relatives said they had been involved in developing their family members’ care plans, including any reviews.

A relative told us, “I would describe the care as person centred. They put their clients first. They listen to people, and it’s always relaxed; you never feel they are in a rush.”

The provider understood people’s diverse health and care needs, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People received good continuity of care because the provider worked effectively with other professionals. For example, if a person was admitted to hospital, staff ensured medical staff had access to important information about the person’s needs and wishes about their care and treatment.

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

People had access to information in ways they understood. This included their care plans, the home’s Service User Guide, and the provider’s complaints procedure.

The provider understood the need to provide people’s care in line with the Accessible Information Standard. People’s communication needs were recorded in their initial assessments. Any support people needed with communication or accessing information was included in their care plan.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas or raise concerns about their care and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People said they were asked for feedback by the provider, and that any issues raised received an appropriate response. One person told us, “We have meetings sometimes, they ask if we are happy with things. They do get back to us afterwards if there have been problems mentioned.”

Relatives said they had opportunities to give their views about the care their family members received and were able to speak with the registered manager if they needed to. A relative told us, “There are annual get-togethers, and we have received surveys. I speak to the manager on a weekly basis about day-to-day issues.”

The provider made sure people could access care, support and treatment when they needed it, including in an emergency. People’s care was provided in a timely way, and in line with best practice, quality standards and legal requirements.

The provider used feedback to seek to improve access for people more likely to experience barriers or delays in accessing their care. People told us staff accompanied them to appointments if they needed this support to access the treatment they needed. One person said, “They take you in the car if you have a hospital appointment; a carer goes with you.”

Staff and leaders considered the needs of people who were most likely to experience inequality and tailored their care and support in response to this.

People were supported to give their views and understand their rights, including their rights to equality and their human rights. The provider complied with legal equality and human rights requirements, including avoiding discrimination, having regard to the needs of people with different protected characteristics, and making reasonable adjustments to support equity in experience and outcomes.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they had enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. Relatives confirmed they had opportunities to be involved in discussions about their family member’s care and treatment should their health deteriorate.

Some people had been referred to palliative care professionals, who put anticipatory arrangements such as medicines in place and kept people’s needs under review.

Relatives whose family members had been cared for at the home towards the end of their lives spoke highly of the care provided by staff. One relative said, “The care staff were amazing and stayed with [family member] at her side in the final days.”