Springkell House Care 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 treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. People told us they felt staff understood their wishes and provided consistent levels of support. Relatives confirmed staff knew their family members well. One relative told us, “They’ve got to know her well and I’m really pleased to see the same (staff) faces.”

The registered manager told us person-centred care was one of the main areas they had concentrated on since coming into post. They told us they had used handover meetings to discuss people’s preferences in more detail, and they had introduced increased observations of the support and interaction with people.

We observed staff knew people well. They spent time talking to people about things which were personal to them such as people’s families, significant events, past lives or how they had spent their time. There was affection shared between people and staff such as holding hands and shared smiles when speaking together.

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.

The service worked with health and social care professionals to support continuity in care. In addition to a private physiotherapist employed by the service, the home was supported by the GP, opticians service, speech and language therapy, dieticians and the community nursing team as required. Records showed input by healthcare professionals, care plans and risk assessments were written in accordance with professional input. Health care professionals we spoke with confirmed staff understood the policies they worked within and followed any guidance provided. One professional told us, “Staff are able to follow our policies, and they are happy to do this. We make sure everything is provided so that staff can follow our recommendations. From my experiences when I am here, the staff are caring, and we have had no concerns.”

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 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.

People’s care records contained information regarding the support they needed to communicate and how choices should be offered. We observed staff followed this guidance when speaking with people, ensuring they were positioned where people could see them and taking non-verbal cues from people who found it difficult to communicate verbally. Information displayed in the home was clear, easy to read and used photographs where applicable.

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.

People and their relatives told us they felt able to bring any concerns to the attention of the manager and felt these would be addressed promptly. One relative told us, “If I had concerns, I would say something. If I’ve had issues, it’s been dealt with straightaway.” The provider had a complaints policy in place which set out how people could raise and concern and the timescales for receiving a response. A complaints log was maintained which showed that any concerns raised were addressed in line with the policy. Complaints were investigated and a full response provided. This included the steps taken to minimise the risk of the concern happening again.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. The design of the home considered the needs of people living with dementia and mobility issues. There was good signage to direct people to different areas, handrails in corridors and a lift to the upper areas of the home. There were several lounge/seating areas available to people. This meant people had quieter areas to sit or to receive visitors should they wish, or busier areas should they want more company.

People had access to healthcare support when they needed it. The service had regular contact with the GP practice, and the community nursing team visited most days. One person told us, “They call the doctor if I’m not well. They are very good about that.”

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 had completed equality and diversity training and demonstrated their understanding through the highly personalised support provided to people. For example, staff advocated for people with communication difficulties during times of ill health by ensuring they were able to access the health care support they required. On moving to Springkell House, one person was distressed due to a specific healthcare concern. The service advocated for the person and provided additional support for them to overcome the concern. This led to the person being more settled and building trusting relationships between staff, the person and their family.

People told us their religious views were respected. One person told us, “They usually give me a lift to church, I go every week. There is a local church, it’s quite near here”. The registered manager confirmed people were asked about their religious and cultural needs during the assessment process so adequate provision could be put in place to meet those needs.

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 had received training in supporting people at the end of their life. The community nursing team supported people and the staff team to ensure people were pain free and were kept informed of any treatment plans. People’s wishes were discussed and recorded in care plans where they were happy to do so. Information included who people wanted to be contacted, where they wanted to be and any specific information such as religious wishes or music they would like. The registered manager told us they were aware of the importance of ensuring people and their families were supported well at this time.