Mulberry Care Limited

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

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.

The provider ensured people’s care and treatment was effective by completing assessments of their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs before they moved into the home. These were reviewed and updated in accordance with a person’s needs. This helped ensure their needs could be met safely. People, and their relatives where appropriate, were involved in planning and reviewing their care.

Care was tailored to people's preferences and daily routines, with people supported to maintain their independence and make choices about their everyday lives wherever possible.

Care records were person-centred and reflected people’s holistic needs, People had regular access to health and social care professionals, which supported them to achieve positive outcomes.

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.

Throughout the home there were noticeboards displaying up-to-date information on best practice and relevant legislation, which helped keep staff informed.

People were supported to meet their hydration and nutritional needs. There was a good choice of drinks available throughout the day and people were offered choices and supported in a calm, respectful manner at mealtimes. A person told us, “I get my breakfast in bed at around 8 o’clock- I am always asked what I would like.” One relative told us, “[Person] is eating and drinking much better than they were before they moved in.”

Staff encouraged people to eat and drink as needed, while respecting their preferences and independence.

Where required, people had care plans in place to support specific dietary needs, such as modified diets or support from speech and language professionals. People’s weights and nutritional intake were monitored and referrals were made to healthcare professionals where concerns were identified. This meant people received safe and appropriate support to meet their nutritional and hydration needs, reducing the risk of malnutrition, choking, and other health complications, and ensuring any concerns were identified and addressed promptly through appropriate professional input.

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 demonstrated effective team working and maintained positive relationship with external professions, including health and social care services. Communication systems such as daily records and handovers ensured important information was shared appropriately. This supported a continuity of care and a consistent approach to meeting people’s needs.

The provider and leaders promoted a multi-disciplinary team (MDT) approach when supporting people. Records evidenced care and support was developed and provided in partnership with people, relevant external professionals and clinicians.

Meetings were held with relevant health and social care professionals to ensure care was tailored to meet people’s immediate or changing needs and to ensure all avenues for people’s wellbeing were considered.

One relative said, “Anything to do with [persons] meds, they always ring me up to tell me. If [person] needs to see the GP they let me know too, so I am always updated about their health and welfare.” This feedback demonstrates that the provider supported effective communication and coordinated approach to meeting people’s needs.

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 able to see doctors and other healthcare professionals when needed and were satisfied with the support they received. Relatives told us staff were good at recognising and responding to changes in people’s needs and made referrals in a timely manner.

Guidance from healthcare specialists was recorded in people’s care plans, which enabled staff to provide professional and clinical support appropriately. For example, one person was referred to a diabetic nurse in relation to their condition, and another person was referred to a dietitian for assessment. Staff demonstrated they followed this advice in practice, such as monitoring blood sugar levels as directed and supporting dietary plans in line with professional guidance. This meant people received consistent, coordinated care that met their assessed health needs.

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.

The provider used a range of quality assurance systems, including telephone monitoring and surveys, to review people’s experiences and outcomes. Monthly audits of care records, regular check-ins by senior staff and feedback from people and staff helped identify areas for improvement. Where improvements were needed, action plans were developed and reviewed to support better outcomes.

People and their relatives told us staff supported them to maintain their independence as much as possible to improve their individual outcomes.

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

Staff understood the importance of promoting choice and obtaining consent before delivering care. People and their relatives confirmed that staff sought consent before providing support.

People told us their views and wishes were considered when planning their care. People’s capacity to consent was assessed and considered where needed.

Information was provided in a way people could understand and they were supported by staff to make decisions.

The provider had appropriate systems in place to work in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), for example, when appropriate, people had mental capacity assessments completed and best interest decisions recorded. Checks were completed to establish whether people had appointed someone with legal authority, such as a power of attorney, to make decisions on their behalf. This helped ensure that where appropriate authorised representatives were involved in decision-making.