50 Vassall Road

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 service scored 79 (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 living at 50 Vassall Road had lived together for over 30 years. Their health, social, spiritual, emotional, and relationship needs were regularly assessed to ensure they received person-centred support. When individuals’ needs changed, their care plans were reviewed and updated accordingly. Staff confirmed they had access to up-to-date information that enabled them to support people effectively and in a person-centred manner, with care documentation kept under regular review. One member of staff told us, “I feel confident supporting the people I work with because there are clear care plans and risk assessments in place.”

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.

The provider used an electronic care planning and monitoring system to record and oversee people's care and support needs. The system incorporated nationally recognised health and social care assessment tools to monitor people's wellbeing and identify any emerging concerns. For example, where appropriate, staff used tools to monitor nutritional and fluid intake, weight, and skin integrity. This demonstrated that the provider was using evidence-based methods to assess and monitor people's health and wellbeing, supporting the effective management of their ongoing healthcare needs which helped to identify risks at an early stage.

The management team and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the principles of ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ and applied these consistently in practice. People were actively involved in planning their care and support and were encouraged to set and review personal goals monthly. This promoted choice, independence, and person-centred care.

Staff received training in line with Skills for Care and accredited with the British Institute for Learning Disabilities. Staff had completed nationally recognised specialist training for people with a learning disability and autistic people, which aims to provide the health and care workforce with the right skills and knowledge to provide safe, compassionate, and informed care to autistic people and people with a learning disability.

The provider always worked well across teams and services to support people. They shared thorough assessments of people’s needs when they moved between different services, so people only needed to tell their story once.

We received extremely positive feedback from health professionals and other social care providers that work with the staff at Vassall Road. Comments included, “The team are fantastic at communicating with the surgery, either by phone, email or using eConsult,” and “When matters arise, there is always a solution focused approach, and other relevant professionals are consulted and involved. This can be escalated, to the service coordinator who is always proactive to receiving communications and responding, working in conjunction with the person’s best interests.”

The team demonstrated a strong commitment to partnership working and advocacy. For example, they successfully worked with other agencies to secure additional funding, enabling one person to continue attending a working farm, an activity that was highly meaningful and important to them.

Professionals consistently praised the team’s collaborative approach. Comments included, “Staff are always responsive and have always been open to discussion, ideas and have a great chain of communication where this can then be processed and actioned” and “They are always willing to communicate effectively with the patient's best interest at heart.”

Staff reported that there was effective communication within the team, which was also observed in practice as staff worked together to support individuals and meet their needs. Staff confirmed daily shift meetings took place at the beginning of each shift, ensuring they were kept up to date with any changes to individuals’ care and support requirements. This enabled staff to plan their work effectively. There were also clear shift plans in place outlining daily routines and expectations, including responsibilities for household tasks. This contributed to a well-organised and consistent service. A member of staff told us, “We always as a team work positively and look to improve the way the service works.”

The provider always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully 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 supported to attend annual health reviews with their GP, and they had access to screening as an early detection of preventable diseases. Clear records were kept of any health appointments, the outcome and any follow up that may be required. Routine appointments were arranged for people to attend a dentist, podiatrist, and optician appointments. People had oral care plans which detailed what support people needed to maintain good oral health alongside attending appointments with the dentist.

People were supported to access aromatherapy as part of their care, which helped to promote relaxation and enhance their overall wellbeing. Two people had recently indicated they would like to take part in this activity when the aromatherapist was supporting others. Staff said this had been very beneficial with the individuals expressing they now enjoyed this activity. This personalised approach demonstrated how staff considered alternative and therapeutic interventions to support people’s emotional comfort and quality of life.

Each person had personalised care plans that detailed their health needs, ensuring staff had the information required to support them to remain healthy, safe, and active. Staff were trained in the use of RESTORE2, a nationally recognised tool designed to help identify and respond to signs of physical deterioration and changes in a person's health.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how to apply this training in practice. One staff member said, “I have applied my RESTORE2 training in my role here when it was needed for post-fall observations or to make sure I am taking the person's weekly blood pressure checks correctly.” This showed staff had the knowledge and confidence to monitor people’s health effectively, recognise when concerns needed to be escalated, and take appropriate action to help ensure people received timely support and intervention when required.

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.

People’s care plans were regularly reviewed and monitored to ensure they continued to reflect their current needs, preferences, and outcomes. A relative told us, they were involved in their family member’s care and maintained regular contact with the service coordinator. They told us, “I am very happy with how the staff treat (name of person). They are brilliant with him and always seem to have his best interests at heart.”

Feedback from staff demonstrated a commitment to providing person-centred care and adapting support as people’s needs changed. One staff member told us, “Given the nature of this home and the diverse needs of the residents, there is a need for constant adaptation, and I feel that this home is good at doing this.”

This feedback reflected a service that worked closely with people, their relatives, and staff to ensure care remained responsive and effective. Regular reviews, open communication, and a flexible approach to support helped ensure people received care that was tailored to their individual needs and aspirations.

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

People's care and support were provided in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff consistently involved people in decisions about their care and ensured their views, wishes, and preferences were considered when planning and delivering support. Care plans clearly documented people's choices and preferences, enabling staff to provide care in a person-centred way.

Staff had received training in the MCA and demonstrated a good understanding of their responsibilities. They were able to explain how they supported people to make their own decisions, offering meaningful choices, and respected people's rights to make decisions about their daily lives. It was evident that people were encouraged and supported to make day-to-day choices, including when to get up and go to bed, what clothes to wear, what meals they wished to have, and how they wanted to spend their time.

Comprehensive mental capacity assessments had been completed where required to ensure people were appropriately supported to make decisions and consent to their care. Records showed that decisions made on behalf of people who lacked capacity were considered in line with best-interest principles. Relatives and those important to people were involved in care planning and decision-making where appropriate. It was evident that their views were sought and considered.