Fernbrook House

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 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.

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. Care plans and risk assessments were detailed and person centred, providing staff with the information they needed to support people safely. Assessments were regularly reviewed, and any changes were updated. Communication needs were assessed and staff supported people with their communication style. We saw where staff needed further training to help a person with their hearing aids this was provided.

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. Clinical assessments tools were in place where needed such as food and fluid monitoring and weight charts. Staff told us they monitored everybody for the first 3 months to get a baseline of their needs and this continued when indicated. Referrals were made to other healthcare professionals for their expertise, such as speech and language therapists for advice on swallowing difficulties and diet. People were supported with special diets when needed such as soft, pureed, diabetic and fortified meals. The cook told us they were kept up to date with people’s dietary needs including likes, dislikes and allergies. We observed a lunchtime meal and saw people were supported with diet and hydration when needed in a dignified way by staff whilst encouraging people’s independence.

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 service worked with other health professionals to ensure they had all the information they needed to ensure people’s support continued. This included follow up with specialist hospital visits and working with the multidisciplinary healthcare team to provide continued support to people.

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. Staff supported people to access GP services, community dentist, chiropodist and the dementia team to ensure their day to day health needs were managed. Where specialist support was needed or follow up with hospital visits, this was also supported. Activity staff at the service helped to support people with their general well-being with attendance at clubs they enjoyed and faith visits.

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. Through monitoring of care and treatment staff supported people to maintain their independence. For example, staff actively encouraged people to maintain their mobility, we observed staff supporting people to walk with walking aids. Activity staff engaged with people and supported them to access social opportunities both at the service and externally. Feedback was obtained from people and relatives to improve their experience whilst living at the service.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. Staff had received the appropriate training in obtaining consent from people. Care plans detailed people’s capacity and their ability to consent and make decisions.

The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The MCA provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The Act requires that as far as possible people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible. People can only be deprived of their liberty so that they can receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the MCA. The authorisation procedures for this in care homes and hospitals are called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA, and whether any conditions on authorisations to deprive a person of their liberty were being met. The registered manager understood their responsibilities and the key principles of the MCA and DoLS, and we saw any conditions were being met. Where appropriate, relatives and advocates views and wishes were taken into account when care was planned.