Merryfields

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’s needs were assessed and used to develop personalised care plans and risk assessments, which were regularly reviewed to ensure they continued to meet people's changing needs.

Staff worked proactively with a range of external health and social care professionals to help people achieve positive outcomes. Referrals were made when required and advice was sought from services including the Dementia Intensive Support Team (DIST), social workers, mental health professionals, GPs, community nurses and the Speech and Language Therapy Team (SALT). Recommendations from professionals were incorporated into people's care and support to help ensure their needs were met effectively. A person told us, “They have doctors come in here.’

People were provided with keyworkers who regularly engaged with them and, where appropriate, their relatives to discuss their care, wellbeing and any changes in their needs. This helped ensure people remained involved in decisions about their care and that their views were listened to and acted upon.

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 views about the care they required were listened to, and this was incorporated into their care plans.

People’s needs and risks were assessed in relation to nutrition and hydration. Catering staff were provided with information about people’s specific dietary needs, and we found they were knowledgeable about this as well as people’s preferences. Information was shared with staff to ensure positive outcomes for people. A staff member told us, “[Person] is lactose free and we have different stuff for them.”

During our assessment we found drinks were accessible to people and offered regularly by staff and documented, to ensure appropriate fluid uptakes, particularly during the warm weather.

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 passionate about staff wellbeing in the service. The team had an open culture about expressing their feelings in a safe way. Staff told us they felt supported when they faced challenges and found they could cope better while at work. The teams worked together to ensure this did not impact on the care provided to people.

The provider had built positive relationships with other professionals involved in people’s care. This included the GP surgery, district nurses and mental health teams. Information was provided to other professionals to ensure people received a consistent service. This included a summary of the care plan if people required, for example, a hospital admission.

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 could participate in exercise sessions provided by an external fitness instructor who specialised in working with older people. The management and staff team encouraged people when they expressed wishes to improve their fitness and mobility. Staff told us, “[Person] wants to walk more, so they walk twice a day.” A person using the service said, “I couldn't walk when I came here, now I walk better than before.”

The registered manager told us about 1 person who had previously been diabetic. They said that since moving to the service and receiving support with their diet, the person's condition had stabilised, and they were no longer diabetic.

Risks to people's health, safety and wellbeing had been assessed. Risk assessments were reviewed and updated when needed to reflect people's current needs.

Staff made referrals to the appropriate health care professionals, including their GP and district nurses.

People’s weights were kept under review and actions taken when people were at risk of losing weight, including referrals to a dietician and the provision of a fortified diet to help reach or maintain a healthy weight.

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.

The management team monitored the care provided through audits, records and feedback from people. Staff recorded their actions in a person centred way. Injuries were monitored and reported appropriately.

The management team and staff champions developed short training sessions on topics such as oral hygiene and eating and drinking. People and staff took part in practical activities, including supporting staff to experience aspects of daily care from a person's perspective. This helped promote understanding of people's experiences and support needs.

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

During our inspection we saw staff asked for people’s consent before providing any support. People told us they chose what they wanted to do, and the staff listened and acted on what they said.

People’s capacity to make decisions was assessed and where people required support to make decisions in their best interests this was recorded. Where people had appointed someone to assist them in making decisions, this was kept on file.