Archived: Octavia Housing - Leonora House

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 outstanding. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 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.
Relatives and people receiving support said they were happy with the care provided and it met their needs. People received support which was person centred. Care plans included information on the person’s background and personal history identifying who was important to them and what is important to the person. A social care professional said, “I have been particularly impressed with the way that staff encourage and enable the specific interests of individuals be that organising trips to support a beloved football team, to holidays abroad, to seeing relatives not seen in many years, finding local faith group communities or restarting long dormant hobbies.”
Staff provided support and activities which met people’s specific interests, health and wellbeing needs. Following an illness which impacted a person’s mobility, staff supported the person with exercises which helped improve their mobility. They now walk without requiring support which has increased their independence.
The staff supported a person to arrange and undertake overseas holidays and ensured the person had the support they required.
The activities manager told us every month people had the opportunity to go for a pub lunch. There was a communal meal on a Friday and a brunch on a Sunday. This encouraged people to interact and reduce the risk of loneliness. Staff supported a person to use an interactive touch screen to help improve their hand movements and increase their ability to do more tasks of daily living.
The activities manager told us there were a number of activities arranged every day including bingo, reminiscence, visiting entertainers and there was a pool table. They said that they also provided 1 to 1 support with activities for people who were unable to leave their flat or did not want to join group activities. Birthdays, religious and other events were also celebrated.
The provider had a section of the building which had studio flats providing specialist support for up to 5 people living with dementia. Staff members confirmed they had completed dementia training and the support they provided included preparing meals for people. People were encouraged to have meals together to promote a community and family feeling. People were supported to take part in all the activities provided at the service. Relatives explained that staff identified activities to meet their interests and needs which they could take part in as their dementia has progressed. A relative said, “They also all eat together so it is a social thing and also [my family member] takes part in the book club. [My family member] didn’t want to at first but I am glad they persisted in encouraging them and I am so glad they did. Also, once a month they take them all out to a local restaurant for a meal which is also nice for them all to socialise.”
Staff handover meetings were carried out at the end of every shift where the staff discussed the care provided to ensure it reflected the person’s current support needs. Any issues related to the person, or their care identified while providing support were also discussed so any appropriate changes could be made to their care.

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 registered manager explained staff members were not allocated to specific people. This meant that all the staff developed a relationship with and understood every person’s care needs and wishes in relation to their support. People were supported to attend a local day centre and go out to other hobbies and activities. A person commented, “I go to the daycentre, which is near, and I like it there, [staff] get me ready for that, but they don’t come with me. I go on the minibus.” People were supported to access local healthcare services to ensure their health and wellbeing needs were met. A relative said, “Usually any appointments are scheduled to be at the home, but they do sometimes go with [family member] to outside appointments and they are present during appointments.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People’s care plans included information on the person’s communication needs. There was also guidance for staff on how to communicate effectively with the person. At the time of assessment, the registered manager was transferring people’s care plans and risk assessments from a paper-based format to an electronic care planning system. The registered manager explained the provider was working on developing accessible formats of the care plans including easy read versions.

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. The registered manager said people were supported to provide regular feedback about their care and their wishes. People and relative confirmed that staff encouraged choice and supported people to discuss their care. People and relatives understood how to raise any concerns. An external professional told us that as part of their role they asked people for feedback on their care. They said, “I’ve always been impressed with the camaraderie and strong bonds amongst residents, nurtured by staff who actively participate in social activities, engage in meaningful conversations and build trust through genuine empathy and understanding.”

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 to access a range of services both in and outside of the service.
People attended medical appointments and staff went with them, when required, to provide any additional support. A relative confirmed some medical appointment for their family member had been organised to occur in their home. Staff asked people about their wishes and how they wanted their care provided. People were encouraged and supported to take part in events outside of the service. For example, the provider organised transport for people who wanted to attend the monthly pub lunch during the summer. This meant people’s mobility needs were supported so they could take part in the events.
 

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. The registered manager explained staff undertook training on maintaining people’s human rights as part of their equality and diversity training. The senior staff were provided with guidance on how to discuss race and equality with staff to develop a shared understanding of the issues and how they support people and each other appropriately. People’s ethnicity and culture were identified and celebrated through events at the service. Staff encouraged and supported people make choices about their care, health and wellbeing.

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. Staff encouraged people to make plans for their care and activities and supported them to achieve their goals. At the time of the assessment the provider was not supporting anyone with end-of-life care. The registered manager told us they had worked with a local hospice to develop a training course for staff. The training course provided guidance for staff on how to support the person and the people important to them to identify their wishes and the possible impact on the way care is provided. Staff confirmed they had completed the training, and they found it useful. A staff member said, “Yes [I completed the training], I found it very useful as we had few residents who were end of life at Leonora House.” People’s care plans identified their future wishes.