The Meath Epilepsy Charity

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 good. At this assessment 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.

People and relatives told us they were involved in initial and on-going assessments. Records were person centred and reflected what was important to the person.

Prior to living at the service, people were gently introduced and consulted about their preferences in all aspects of their lives, to make them feel welcome and reduce the stress of moving. One relative told us, “[Family member] started with a couple of visits. The staff also came to ‘Young Epilepsy’ to see [them] and talked to staff on a more professional level about [their] needs. [Family member] was consulted about [their] room, what [they] would like in it and so on.” They added, “It’s a balance between being professional but it’s home. They get it right. [Family member] is very much consulted.” Young Epilepsy is a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people living with epilepsy and related conditions.

Pre-admission assessments we viewed were comprehensive. They contained details of the person, their likes and dislikes, health conditions and all aspects of their lives. Based on this, a plan was devised on how to best support the person. Care plans were developed from the initial assessments and were regularly reviewed and updated as people’s needs changed.

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.

People’s care needs were monitored and reviewed to help ensure they received consistent care and support that met their needs. The local authority carried out reviews of people’s needs at the provider’s request when this was requested. A healthcare professional told us, “I am informed of any issues regarding skin care, and any concerns parents or family members have so that these can be dealt with promptly.”

People’s health and nutritional needs were assessed, recorded and met. The staff supported people with their meals as needed and in line with their needs. The food was cooked on each unit and people were given a choice of what they would like to eat. We observed lively conversation between people and staff during lunchtime with staff sitting with people and supporting them to eat where required. People were asked if they would like some more. There was a café on site where people could eat, drink and meet others if they wished to.

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.

Staff told us they enjoyed working at the home, there was a very good culture and supportive teamwork.

People and relatives told us the staff worked well together and communicated with them well to meet their needs.

The managers told us they liaised with other professionals and agencies to share information and good practice to make continuous improvement to benefit people. One of the registered managers told us, “We work with a local charity because most people have come from there. We also were in contact with another similar service in Gloucestershire to see what works well for them and how to share good practice.” They added, “We have a good relationship with the learning disability services, and we have a nurse coming in who provides training for staff.”

The provider always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximisetheir independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and wherepossible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

People were supported to access a range of health care professionals. Care records contained detailed information about people’s health conditions and how these might affect people. There were regular visits from health care professionals involved in people’s care, and communication between them and the staff and management was effective.

Relatives felt their family members’ health needs were met. Their comments included, “The GP practice actually has a clinic there at the home, once a week I think” and “There’s access to a GP on site and the other day [they] noticed [family member] was shivering. So, they phoned me straightaway. We all met at the hospital. It was a chest infection and given antibiotics. They involve me a lot.”

The provider was in the process of improving continence management and had put in place bowel management guidance in conjunction with the GP. This was noted as being of particular importance and significance to the known clinical risk of constipation as a factor in anti-epileptic medicines. One of the registered managers explained, “The effective management of constipation ‘may’ be a trigger for some seizures occurring as a potential result of unmanaged constipation.”

The continence nurses felt the service was going above and beyond by completing detailed ‘Bowel Protocols’ with individualised andperson-centred bowel regimes that were kept under regular review. They told us, “The staff listened to our advice, and I know that even today I have had communication from one of the managers asking for information and they have in fact acted on this already, I do believe they are actively trying to improve on care plans for the residents, I felt that it was a very happy environment, and the residents were well cared for, a very positive meeting,we will continue to work closely to support them.”

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.

There was evidence of regular reviews and action being taken immediately following any changes to people’s health needs. The service worked closely with healthcare professionals who knew people well and followed their advice to help meet people’s changing needs. A healthcare professional who conducted regular clinics at the service told us, “They understand people’s individual needs well and step in to help with communication when it’s needed, but they also give residents space and independence. The relationships between staff and residents feel genuine and positive. There’s a lot of trust and warmth there, and it really shows in how people interact.”

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

The provider was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People were consulted in all aspects of their daily lives and were encouraged to make their own choices in this was possible. People and relatives confirmed their choices were respected.

The staff received training in the principles of MCA and demonstrated and understanding of these. Consent workshops were organised, which focused on friendships, consent, and personal boundaries.