The Trees

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 questiongood. At thisassessmentthe rating hasremainedgood.

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 treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People and their relatives were involved in care planning and made shared decisions about their care and treatment. People were supported to make decisions about their routines and activities. Communication aids and good staff practice supported them to do this. Leaders and staff took a collaborative approach that focussed on people’s quality of life and outcomes that were evidence based.

Staff were very knowledgeable about people's needs and wishes and were able to understand what people were communicating. One staff member told us, “The support given to people is person centred and hearing people say they want to come back to The Trees is down to the care and support they receive from the support staff.”

Feedback from external stakeholders was positive about the care provided by staff at The Trees. One professional told us, “The staff I have interacted with seemed very knowledgeable and had a good understanding of working with people with learning disabilities. The staff clearly take a person-centred approach towards individuals, and this was clear when discussing the individual I’m working with.”

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.

Staff worked consistently on people’s assessed needs and followed guidance and information provided by health and social care partners. People’s transitions into the home were completed constructively and sensitively to ensure that people received a safe and effective move to respite care. Staff worked with relatives to plan care, improve support and change practice, if needed, when things went wrong. A relative of a person who regularly uses the service told us, “They [staff] are very flexible, and they do pick up on stuff. They found out about my ‘Now and Then Board’ I use with [person] and so they have applied to get hold of 1.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Information and communication plans were in line with the Accessible Information Standards. These standards state that providers of publicly funded adult social care are legally obliged to ensure people with disabilities or sensory loss receive information they can understand, with the right communication support.

Staff had a good understanding and knowledge on people’s communication needs and how to meet these effectively. A relative of a person who regularly uses the service told us, “[Person] is [unable to communicate verbally], but staff still find a way to communicate with [person] and make [them] smile.”

People’s care records contained information regarding the support they needed to communicate and how choices should be offered. Information displayed in the home was clear, easy to read and used pictures where applicable. One staff member told us, “People have got communication plans which are put together during the time they are transitioning to our service. The communication plan will tell us exactly how the individual communicates.”

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 provider had an innovative approach to ensure no one was missed when giving feedback, providing a variety of methods to gather feedback. For example, surveys were available in easy read formats where required. A survey had recently been completed to gather feedback from relatives and people who used the service. Feedback was mostly positive and comments included, ‘The Trees has lovely staff and feels a very safe environment.’ The registered manager told us they planned to review the information, compiling a report and feeding back to family, carers and stakeholders in due course.

Comprehensive policies and procedures were in place for managing and responding to complaints in a timely and appropriate manner. These policies were also readily available in easy read formats displayed in communal areas to ensure people knew how to raise a complaint or concern.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The registered manager and staff understood how to access specialist health or social care support people might need. The provider promoted a culture of empowering people to live their life as they chose, whilst ensuring their safety. The registered manager told us, “We are not risk averse, we support people to do the activities they want to do safely.”

People’s care records contained information about the equipment people needed to promote their independence. There were adapted facilities within the home such as bathing equipment, disabled access to the garden and adapted chairs to support people to overcome physical challenges.

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.

Staff supported people to access services in accordance with their individual needs. They had received training on equality and diversity which helped them to recognise and address any discrimination people may face. People’s care plans included information about their culture, religion, sexuality, and lifestyle.

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.

People were involved in making decisions about how their care was to be provided and care plans included any specific person-centred details for future care. Care records included details of people’s choices regarding future events, for example, details of people’s preferences and wishes for when at the end of their lives.