Coniston Court

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 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 home. People and relatives told us they were involved in care and health planning. People had biographies included in their care plans which contained information about their lives, careers, families and who they were before moving into the home.

One relative told us, "I’m very happy with the care. We discussed a care plan when [Person] went in there and they phone me every month to discuss how their getting on."

Another relative told us, "They moved to Coniston from hospital, their needs were assessed there, and we agreed the care plan. The staff are brilliant, they are looking after [Person] very well and there seem to be plenty of staff around. Whenever we visit, they look clean and well presented."

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. Records showed the use of nationally recognised tools, for example, the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) for monitoring people’s weight. One relative told us, "They are good with [Person's] medications and they’re on top of it straight away if there’s a medical problem."

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. People had hospital passports in place which went with them to appointments to ensure they went smoothly. Staff supported people to attend appointments. Staff worked with community health professionals and referrals were made when people needed.

A community professional told us, "The patients appear to be very well looked after, and I do not have any concerns regarding their care. In my experience, it is a good nursing home. Staff appropriately refer patients to our service when needed and follow our advice and treatment plans correctly afterwards."

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. The kitchen catered for people’s specific dietary requirements, however there was minimal variety and choice on the daily menu. We received mixed feedback from people about the food available. One person told us, “The food is ok, but it is the same all the time, you do not get any choice about what you want to eat.” Another person told us, “Food is good. I enjoy it.”

One community professional told us, "I have a number of patients in Coniston Court, and the staff know their patients well, they are polite, friendly and all of my patients are well cared for."

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. Some people since moving to the home had gained weight and their health had improved.

One relative told us, "They’ve managed changes in [Person’s] medications, adjusting their medications and ensuring that they take them and [Person] now looks better and seems happier. They discuss any changes to their medications and update me on their physical condition, so I know what’s happening. It’s very reassuring to us to know that there’s someone there for them 24/7.”

People had community professionals involved in their care, who routinely visited to ensure their needs were met.

Community professionals told us, "Coniston Court are active referrers to the speech and language therapy team (SALT) and observant regarding swallow needs of their clients. The nursing team and manager are always helpful, responsive and knowledgeable about the clients, and will find out information if they don't readily know answers to our questions."

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (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 MCA 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 to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the MCA. In care homes, and some hospitals, this is usually through MCA application procedures called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS had been applied for, where required, and was monitored to ensure they remained relevant for individuals. Consent was recorded in people’s care plans and staff were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and were observed throughout the day asking people for consent. People had lasting power of attorney (LPOA) documented within their care plans to ensure, should they become unable to make decisions independently, appropriate best interest decisions could be made on their behalf in line with their wishes and preferences.