Albert Residential Home

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• 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.

People’s needs were assessed before they moved into the service, and their care plans were created from the information recorded. Staff made sure people’s needs were kept under review to ensure any changes were identified and their care plans were updated as necessary.

Pre-admission assessments were undertaken through a range of ways and the registered manager told us people were able to complete a trial prior to moving in if they wished. People and their relatives were involved in the pre-admission process and subsequently whenever their needs were reviewed.

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 told us their nutritional needs were met. One person told us, “The food is always nice. It’s hot and well-presented. Normally at lunchtime I can have this, this and this, and I can choose. I’ll say if I don’t like it and they won’t make it again.” Another person commented, “The food’s good. The food’s fresh every day”

The provider used nationally recognised guidance when planning people’s care and included people in the process. For example, people’s weight was reviewed, and their skin integrity was monitored by following national guidance. Letters from healthcare professionals showed that staff had followed treatment instructions, including from the GP and neurologist.

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.

Staff knew people’s needs well and were able to share this appropriately when people moved between services by involving the relevant partners. Where a person regularly had medical appointments, the service planned this to ensure people were supported with these.

There were systems in place to ensure people’s information could be effectively shared internally and externally, including person-centred documentation, and where there were changes to people’s care, this was shared effectively internally and externally. Staff undertook daily handovers to discuss people’s needs and the plans for the day ahead.

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 told us they were supported with their health and staff helped them manage healthcare appointments. One person told us, “I go to the dentist for my dental checkups.” Other appointments people attended included those with consultants and the optician. People’s care plans included steps to take to support people, such as to dental care. A healthcare professional commented in relation to staff completing appropriate referrals, “Staff is cooperating with health care professionals at the same time preserving service user’s right to privacy etc.”

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 included information on how to monitor their health, and we saw these were followed by staff. People told us they were supported with their health treatment. A member of staff explained in detail the process they followed to monitor people’s outcomes, “Usually, after [person] has a [health-related event], we have a meeting…” They continued to describe the steps they would take to ensure outcomes were positive and people’s expectations were met.

Daily notes included information around people’s physical and emotional wellbeing, and the steps taken to monitor people’s outcomes. A healthcare professional described how staff had followed their instructions which helped coordinate their care effectively.

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

Information about capacity was clearly recorded in care plans. All people had full capacity to make all decisions relating to their care and treatment. People told us staff always gained their consent prior to supporting them. One person told us, “They’re very polite, and yes, they always ask.” Another person commented, “They ask for permission.”

Information about people’s capacity was recorded and staff were aware of this. Staff had completed relevant training, respected people’s choices and were knowledgeable about the legislation. One member of staff told us, “The Mental Capacity Act [2005] states that we don’t assume that a client doesn’t have the capacity to make decisions by himself. You don’t make decisions for the client or the resident. You give them room to make decisions for themselves.”