Bowtree Homecare Ltd

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People’s care plans reflected their physical, mental, emotional and social needs. Where people had specific cultural needs, this information was also included in people’s care records. Care plans evidenced people’s involvement in their care plan to ensure they were able to make decisions on what care they wished to receive. For example, in one person’s care plan they had explained that whilst they had good communication skills, they could sometimes be forgetful. To support this, they had stated that staff must check and ensure they understand what is said to them.

Staff told us they were kept up to date with any changes to people’s care and support. One staff member told us, “We have a mobile messaging app group where managers will share information. It’s a handover group where we can update other staff on any changes to care at each visit.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

The service worked alongside other health and social care professionals to ensure they met people’s needs. There was evidence in care plans of involvement from other health professionals which staff told us they followed.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Since 2016 all organisations that provide publicly funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard. The Accessible Information Standard tells organisations what they have to do to help ensure people with a disability or sensory loss, and in some circumstances, their carers, get information in a way they can understand it. It also says that people should get the support they need in relation to communication.

The provider was meeting the Accessible Information Standard. Information was available in different formats to support people to understand the information being given to them. People’s communication needs were understood and supported. Care plans contained information on what support people needed with communication. The registered manager explained how information would be adapted to meet people’s needs. She said, “We can have things put in different formats, for example, large print. We would assess people’s communication preferences at the start of the service to make sure everything is in place.”

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People’s concerns and complaints were encouraged. People and their relatives said they had opportunities to feedback about their experiences of care and support. They were aware of how to raise any concerns or complaints. Comments included, “There are different ways to feedback. I have an app that allows me to make comments and provide direct feedback in that way. I am sometimes on site when a carer calls and can make direct response. The owner also makes herself very accessible and is always ready to listen and discuss any concerns” and “I'm encouraged to feedback and to speak to the team if I have any concerns around my mum or need any changes to her plan. I have done this by just picking up the phone and the team have been extremely flexible. They have a really can do attitude and have always found a way to support what is needed.”

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The service worked in partnership with other agencies in a timely manner. One professional commented, “I have always found [registered manager] to be professional and very passionate about her clients receiving good person-centred care.” The registered manager explained they worked closely with local hospitals to support people to stay at home and be as independent as possible and minimise incidents where people need to go to a hospital.

There were systems in place to monitor care calls and ensure none were missed and that staff attended for the allocated time. The registered manager confirmed there had been no missed calls. They told us about a recent situation where it had snowed, and staff parked their cars as close to people’s houses as they could and then walked the rest of the way to ensure people received their care. Management arrangements were in place to support staff providing out of hours care.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

People were supported by the provider to be involved in planning their care. Care plans were regularly reviewed, and people and their relatives were invited to share their views on the care and support provided. People and relatives, we spoke with told us they were happy with the care and support they received. One relative told us, “Knowing that mum is well cared for, treated with dignity and able to live how she wants in her own home is so important. With work and family commitments I am unable to be there as much as I’d like to, but I am reassured that she is getting the best care possible. Mum’s happy, that's all that matters.”

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People were involved with discussions about their future care should they wish, and this would be recorded in their care plan. The registered manager explained they were not currently supporting people who needed end of life care. They said people who required end of life care would “move to the free hospice service which can be quite sad for staff who have got to know the person and cannot be there to support people in their final days.” They explained where they had an existing client who would eventually require end of life care, and then use the free service provided by the hospice, their future plan was to be able to offer the same free care that the hospice could. They said all of their staff were already trained in palliative care. The registered manager said, "We believe, it would be in the best interest of the client to have minimal upheaval at the end of their life, by continuing their care with us for free. Working as a partnership with the district nursing team, it enables us to continue our mission of supporting clients in their own homes until the very end."