St Stephens Care Home

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

At our last inspection, we found the provider was in breach of regulation 18 (staffing) due to staff not being trained appropriately, and regulation 15 (adaption and design) due to the environment being unsafe and not meeting the needs of people living with dementia. At this assessment we found the provider had taken enough action and was no longer in breach of regulation.

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, well-being and communication needs with them.

People’s care plans evidenced people’s needs had been assessed. Care plans contained person-centred detail and guidance for staff to follow, enabling people to be cared for in line with their choice and preference. Care plans also contained details on how to best communicate with the person, including ways to communicate with people who were non-verbal.

Where people had specific health care needs which required regular monitoring, assessment tools were used to help assess needs, to help ensure people received care which was appropriate for them.

Relatives told us how they had been involved with their loved one’s care plan. One told us, “I was asked questions for [Name’s] care plan yes. I am kept well updated with how [Name] 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.

We observed for people who were at risk of losing weight, the provider had taken timely action to make appropriate referrals to the dietitian to ensure the person was fully supported with their nutritional requirements.

A relative told us, “[Name] is on a soft diet, the food is presented nicely with choices.”

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.

The management team were keen to tell us about the positive relationship they shared with the GP for the home, one manager told us, “Our GP is amazing, they even came in during Covid, they will visit even at night if it means having to avoid a hospital trip.”

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.

Relatives were keen to tell us how the provider supported people, one told us, “I feel [Name] is well looked after. The staff communicate well and are brilliant.”

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

For people who required monitoring due to risks associated with their food and fluid intake, records were kept ensuring people were not at risk of losing weight inappropriately.

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

We observed staff explaining to people what care they were about to give to people beforehand and offering people choices.

People’s care records evidenced people’s capacity to consent had been assessed. Where people lacked capacity, applications for deprivation of liberty safeguards had been applied for appropriately.