Age UK Doncaster

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 83 (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. Initial assessments were carried out, prior to people receiving support, to ascertain if the provider could meet the person's needs. This was known as an initial care needs assessment and obtained information such as people’s history and diagnosis. Staff and leaders referred people to services when appropriate and if they identified a need. For example, we saw 1 person had been referred to the continence service. Following discharge from hospital they had been given continence wear which was too small for them, and this was affecting their mental health. A referral was made to the continence service to obtain larger continence wear or reassessment of the current product which had been issued. The provider had several opportunities for care and support to be reviewed including, for example, annual reviews, courtesy calls, service user visits and telephone monitoring. Reviews considered the perspective of people and families, and reflected people’s desired outcomes.

The provider always 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. They worked to develop evidence-based good practice and standards. Age UK Doncaster worked extremely well with external professionals and kept up to date with new research and developments to drive good practice. One professional said, “Age UK Doncaster collaborate with the [local authority] and have offered innovation suggestions as well as attending regular board meetings to share learning and ideas.” People were fully involved in planning their meals and details regarding their dietary needs were clearly presented in care planning documentation. Staff and leaders focused on positive outcomes. For example, 1 person was supported to improve their health through practical dietary changes. This person was a diabetic and, as part of a routine review, it was identified their diet and reduced mobility was negatively impacting on their health, and regularly consuming high fat foods and white bread was not supporting their condition. Staff and leaders discussed this with the person and involved external professionals to improve their outcomes. Staff and leaders looked at realistic changes which would not feel restrictive for the person and increased the person’s knowledge around healthier alternatives. The person was supported to make changes at their own pace which improved their health and wellbeing. Staff and leaders learned small, realistic changes significantly improved health outcomes.

The provider always worked well across teams and services to support people. They shared thorough assessments of people’s needs when they moved between different services, so people only needed to tell their story once. Staff and leaders worked remarkably well in partnership with other services to ensure people’s needs were met. Initial assessments captured people’s needs and identified other services they benefitted from. Staff and leaders either signposted people to appropriate services or completed internal and external referrals in consultation with people. Age UK Doncaster had a ‘keep in mind’ service which was the dementia pathway for people living in Doncaster. If assessments identified people living with dementia would benefit from this service, staff and leaders referred them, with their consent, for additional support. Once in the ‘keep in mind’ service, people had the opportunity to have support from Age UK Doncaster and other partners. These partners could be internal services such as early on-set dementia day centre sessions, free 6-week befriending calls or external partners such as singing for memory, dementia cafes and pre- and post dementia services. This also included keeping in touch calls to ensure people received all the support they needed. Staff and leaders were open and honest in their approach, liaising with social workers and the safeguarding team to ensure people were not at risk. One professional said, “They provide excellent care for my client, often going above and beyond their role in what can sometimes be challenging circumstances. I have an excellent relationship with [staff] and any correspondence is quickly replied to. We work together to ensure the clients health and wellbeing is maximised.” Staff and leaders demonstrated a strong commitment to person-centred care and inclusion. One person was unable to access local food bank support. Staff acted promptly and with compassion. Leaders empowered staff to utilise donated funds to provide an immediate and practical solution, ensuring the person had access to essential food supplies without delay. This thoughtful and proactive response not only met the person’s immediate needs but also upheld their dignity and wellbeing, reflecting a highly responsive service and a culture of going above and beyond to support people in times of vulnerability.

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. Support plans identified people were referred to healthcare professionals as appropriate. Staff and leaders worked alongside partners to ensure continuity of care. For example, professionals such as community psychiatric nurses and the aids, adaptations and equipment store service were accessed which ensured people had the opportunity to live a healthier life.

The provider monitored all people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured outcomes were positive and consistent and fully met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. One staff member said, “I would listen closely to the person to hear their routines,goals and preferences that matter to them. After all, care is not just doing certain tasks but supporting people the way they want to live their lives” Staff and leaders supported people to set goals and achieve their outcomes which had a positive impact on their daily lives. One person was supported to improve their mobility, independence and daily life. This person had become largely housebound due to struggling to rise from a chair which was too low and increased the risk of falling. The person required a more suitable chair but this was financially unaffordable. Staff and leaders undertook a person-centred mobility assessment and identified the need for appropriate seating and sourced a nearly new reclining chair via a community donation. Staff and leaders assessed the suitability of the chair and involved the person in the decision-making process. The person was then able to rise safely and independently from the new chair, the risk of falls was reduced, there was improved mobility at home and the person’s confidence and independence increased. The provider’s key learning was small adaptations could significantly improve independence and community resources supported effective solutions. People’s outcomes were recorded in care documentation and were part of the review process which ensured they were monitored.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. Staff and leaders ensured people had the right to decide what care and support they required as well as the right to refuse the support offered. Consent and confidentiality forms were completed with people and clearly identified what people had consented to. Staff and leaders also gained consent before talking to family members or other professionals on behalf of people and consent forms were renewed annually. During 6 monthly feedback questionnaires, people were asked if they felt involved in decisions around their care and whether their privacy and dignity was always respected. One staff member said, “I gain consent from people and explain what I am doing and involve them in any decisions.”