Rock House Residential 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 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 this was confirmed by people’s feedback.

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’s needs were assessed and recorded in person-centred care plans. There were regular reviews and people and their families were involved in these discussions. A member of staff told us, “We sit with the person and their family, ask as many questions as we possibly can and take note of what they are telling us to give us a base to set up a person-centred care plan.”

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 who required specialised or modified diets had these prepared and served by the provider. This ensured people were able to eat safely in line with specialist advice and guidance. A person told us, "My [relative] was a resident here, so I was very satisfied with the safety and quality of the home. I was neglecting myself at home and my weight had fallen. I’m now [a healthy weight]. I eat well but have small portions. This is the best place for me.”

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. Health and care professionals were complimentary about the service and the registered manager. One professional told us, “[The registered manager] has high standards and expects the same from the staff. They are well led and rewarded to achieve these which is probably why staff turnover is minimal. The service is fully aware of how to contact more specialist services if required and they participate in regular virtual MDT (multi-disciplinary team) meetings with our service where [people’s needs] are given an annual holistic review.” A member of staff told us about the communication and information sharing between staff teams, “We have a routine which we follow and work in pairs and know where we are working at the beginning of the shift. Other staff will support me if I need support with residents.”

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 were referred to and accessed community services, for example, podiatry services. Community nurses supported people in the care home who needed specialist support. One professional told us, “We have regular patients we see twice a week and 1 patient who [we visit twice daily]. The home responds well to patients’ changing needs and often support palliative patients at the end of their life.” A relative told us, “This home is really professional with the care provided. They look after [family member] much better than we could at home. They are a lot safer here than at home and well cared for. [Family member] is not very active and spends a lot of time in bed but there are no bedsores. They are checked by the doctor regularly and we are fully informed of any medical issues.”

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured outcomes were positive and consistent, and met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. People’s care plans and risk assessments were reviewed and updated regularly. People’s outcomes including their weight were monitored and reviewed. Feedback from professionals confirmed there was an active approach to monitoring and improving outcomes for people. One professional told us, “I believe the residents to be safe and well cared for within the care home. There are minimal incidents of falls because residents are provided with appropriate level of support, supervision and equipment. Residents soon gain weight when moving in. If there has been concerns around weight loss in hospital prior to arrival or during hospital stays, people soon recover and are back to healthy weights [once back at the service].”

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. People’s capacity to consent to care was assessed and recorded in their care plans. Assessments were decision-specific in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice. If people did not have capacity to make decisions, appropriate procedures had been followed to ensure any decisions made were in people’s best interests. We observed members of staff asking people for consent before providing care and support. A member of staff told us, “To involve people in their care and gain consent, I would provide clear and understandable information, listen to their preferences, answer any questions, and confirm their decision voluntarily without pressure.”