St Dominics Residential Home

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 support choices and they decided, in partnership with people and those important to them, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. People and their relatives were fully involved in making decisions about the care provided. People’s care plans were person-centred and clearly reflected what was important to the person.

People enjoyed a wide range of activities and staff ensured people’s personalised preferences and wishes were met.

Comments from people and relatives included, “They really encourage [person] to join in, the entertainment people are brilliant and there is a good variety. They do activities in [person’s] room as well and have chats with them if [person] doesn’t want to join in” and “They know [person] used to paint, and they encourage them to join in the craft activities.”

The activities and wellbeing staff told us, “Not everybody likes big group activities, so we do 1:1 activities and visit people in their rooms too. We know the residents well and know what they like. We also have a ‘Wishes’ folder and every resident gets the opportunity to have their own wish for something they would really like to do.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and responded flexibly to meet these needs. For example, providing shorter term respite placements where appropriate to support people in regaining mobility and independence. The provider promoted choice and continuity in people’s care and worked in partnership with other healthcare services to adapt to people’s individual health needs.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats tailored to people’s individual needs. People’s care plans detailed how they communicated and any aids used to support their communication. During the inspection we observed staff offering choices and providing information in ways which met people’s individual needs and preferences.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas or raise complaints about their care and support. People were listened to respectfully and were provided with opportunities to feedback. One person told us, “They [managers] are very easy to speak to and very accessible, they listen to people, it was a happy family atmosphere.”

People’s relatives told us they were not always given feedback questionnaires or surveys to complete, but said staff and managers were approachable and available if they wanted to raise any queries or concerns. Comments included, “We normally see the managers and the head carer, there’s always someone to talk to and they would ring us back if they’re busy. They respond well to anything we say” and “They are always around and available, we haven’t had any issues, I am confident they would help us.”

The provider made sure that people could access the care and support they needed when they needed it. People were supported to attend their health appointments or receive health professionals into the service as and when needed. One health professional told us, “We have a good working relationship with St Dominics and the communication between us ensures that we give good patient care and patient care outcomes.”

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care and support in response to this. Staff had received specialised training to support them in understanding the needs of people living with dementia. Managers and staff demonstrated a clear commitment to providing meaningful engagement and promoting good outcomes for older people and people living with dementia. They encouraged people to actively participate in their local community and ensured people were still able to go out and do things they enjoyed where possible.

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 and leaders had completed the Gold Standard Framework [GSF] accreditation programme, achieving a platinum level award. The GSF is an evidence-based approach designed to improve the quality of care for people in their last years of life. The provider told us they were committed to ensuring people received good quality end of life care. One member of staff said, “The GSF is engrained in us”. People had detailed, personalised end of life care plans in place to reflect their wishes and the provider worked closely with relevant health professionals to manage people’s end of life health needs and ensure people remained comfortable.