Galanos House

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 outstanding. At this assessment the rating has remained outstanding. This meant services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.

This service scored 93 (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 was exceptional at making 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’s unique history, values and care needs were consistently recorded within their care plans. This provided staff with the information and guidance they needed to respond to people’s needs and people’s families were pro-actively involved in decisions about their care. We saw staff took practical steps to incorporate people’s histories and what mattered to them into their lives at the home. For example, people on the dementia unit had “boards” outside their bedrooms displaying objects from their previous professions and photographs of things which were important to them. One staff member told us they used the board displays to spark conversations with people about their lives. This helped people to connect with their past and increased their well-being in the present.

Staff spent time with people and their relatives to gain insight into people’s motivations and responses to situations. For example, 1 person was experiencing anxiety which was disturbing their sleep. Through discussions with the person’s relatives, staff were able to identify an event in the person’s working life which had significantly impacted on their emotional wellbeing. Another person expressed patterns of behaviour when they began to experience anxiety or stress that was reflective of their previous career. Staff used this knowledge of people to ensure they were able to provide sensitive and appropriate support that was responsive to people’s individual needs.

Relatives gave examples of how staff used their knowledge of people to respond to their needs in that moment. One relative told us, “They know [Name] wants a cup of tea rather than coffee. They will sit with her if she is having a quiet day and pay attention to how she is.”

Relatives told us they were promptly informed of any changes in their family member’s needs and involved in decision making about their care and support. Staff told us how effective communication during daily handovers supported them to deliver responsive care every day.

The provider had an exceptional understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Relatives told us people received continuity of care from a consistent staff team who knew people well. One relative commented, “I am really happy the staff are consistent and good. The staff staying and knowing her so well is amazing.”

Relatives felt very supported in maintaining a continuing role in caring for their family members and described staff as being very kind, supportive and understanding of their relationships. One relative had recently shared their experience and commented, “The manager and deputy manager encouraged me to be involved in [Name’s] care. The nurses from the home would do all the clinical aspects but I was able to assist with personal care, helping her to eat and to be comfortable.”

Managers and staff had built effective partnership working with external healthcare professionals so people could be confident of joined up care pathways. One healthcare professional told us, “We have a strong relationship of mutual respect and understanding. I have seen they (staff) consistently follow agreed management plans, and their good knowledge of their residents helps support me in better decision making.” Another healthcare professional told us, “We work very closely with the care home staff, and they can directly contact me via email or my mobile for any urgent advice during the week and sometimes during weekends too. This system bypasses the delay of ringing through the surgery line and ensures continuity of care for our care home patients.” Healthcare professionals told us clear record keeping supported integrated care.

Managers helped people and their relatives to receive all the funding they were entitled to and signposted them to other agencies for guidance and support.

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

People’s sensory and communication needs were assessed and care plans informed staff about the most effective way of ensuring people had the information they needed in an accessible format. For example, 1 person’s first language was not English. Some words in the person’s first language were available and known by staff to promote communication. One senior staff member told us, “I am proud staff have taken the time to understand [Name’s] heritage and what her first langue is and use this when responding to her.”

Where people had sensory needs, adaptations had been made to tailor communication to their individual requirements. For example, 1 person with a hearing disability had an alert buzzer under their pillow that vibrated if the home needed to be evacuated in an emergency.

Thought had been given to how information was presented to people. For example, some documents were produced on yellow paper to help people with visual impairments by improving readability. Some notices were accompanied by pictures and photographs to provide visual prompts alongside the written word. Other communication tools included large print, magnifying devices, iPads, talking books and electronic reminders.

The provider was exceptional at enabling people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff always involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People were involved in decision making in the service and had introduced their own audits and systems for sharing feedback and ideas. For example, people had developed their own dining room audits and shared their feedback through a ‘food forum’. People could give immediate and daily feedback about the quality of their meals through ‘rate your plate’, the results of which informed future menu planning. People planned and organised their own events and activities both inside Galanos House and in the wider community. People sat on staff recruitment panels, so they had a voice in choosing the staff who supported them. People were also involved in choosing the décor in communal areas of the home.

People and their relatives were very positive about their involvement in the holistic planning and reviewing of their care needs. Comments from people included: “I feel we have a say. We have meetings and they listen” and “My opinion here matters.” One relative told us, “They do a review of the care plan and what she wants and what they are doing day to day. They always involve me and say what they are doing.” Another relative said, “There is resident of the week, and they review him, and we have input in what he wants to change or say. He was concerned about fire safety, and they were able to assure him, and the fire safety person explained fire safety to the residents.”

People and relatives told us they had access to the complaints procedure and were confident they could raise any issues or concerns, knowing they would be responded to. Comments included: “They would listen and take anything seriously”, “I know that they would listen to me, and they would help” and “I would go to the office and see the senior nurses and they are attentive; I can raise anything with them. We work together to respond to things.” Relatives considered all staff and management were open and approachable.

The registered manager emphasised the importance of empowering people to take ownership of the service through their feedback and ensuring they always felt listened to. They gave an example of a person who had raised a minor concern which the registered manager had escalated through the formal complaints process. The registered manager explained, “If people have things like that, we need to take it seriously, so they feel they have been heard and have an outcome."

People and relatives were able to give feedback about the service provided at Galanos House through meetings, surveys and suggestions boxes. Feedback was used to review the quality of care within the home.

The provider was exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The registered manager was a strong voice for ensuring equity in access for people both inside Galanos House and in the wider community. For example, the registered manager held training sessions with local shops and businesses to raise awareness and understanding about dementia. They were also working with 1 supermarket to establish safe access directly from Galanos House. This supported people with dementia to remain active, independent and connected to their communities.

People had access to the all the amenities in the community hub attached to the home. The hub incorporated a café, gym and therapy rooms. The local community, friends and family used the hub which provided people with access to a safe space for meeting friends and developing new social relationships.

Relatives told us reasonable adjustments had been made to people’s environment within Galanos House to ensure they were able to access all areas of the home. One relative told us, “They have ensured she uses her walking frame to get around and they gave her a bedroom where she can get round the bed safely.” Another relative explained, “His bed and room are arranged so that he can get around his room in the wheelchair and he can see the TV.” People were able to enjoy relaxing or working in the gardens which had been adapted to ensure they were accessible for everyone.

There were robust processes to monitor people’s health to identify when they may need referral to other healthcare professionals. Where people could not verbalise their pain or changes in their health, staff used an assessment tool to ensure any deterioration was identified and addressed promptly. This ensured people were able to access external healthcare support when they needed it. One healthcare professional told us, “Care home staff always ensure observations are recorded and they are quick in getting rapid response/advice for any acutely unwell patients. They follow the treatment or management plan and update us regularly of any decline or concerns.”

Where people had difficulties accessing the appropriate treatment, staff supported people to ensure their needs were met. The registered manager explained how people who used wheelchairs were referred to a dentist with facilities to meet their accessibility needs.

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.

Relatives felt confident staff worked very well with them to ensure people received the best possible care and achieved positive outcomes. One relative told us, “I am very supported and can always talk to someone and if they can’t answer my question, they will refer me to someone else.” Other comments included, “I know I can contact them and get a response quickly” and “They are very good and very responsive to me.” Relatives told us staff treated everyone fairly and they had no concerns about discrimination at the service.

Staff were strong advocates to ensure people received the outcomes they had expressed as being important to them. For example, staff advocated for people to receive the care they wanted in the place of their choice.

The registered manager promoted inclusivity at events people enjoyed in the community. Some people enjoyed entering home produced items such as cakes and vegetables in classes at a local agricultural show. The registered manager was championing the introduction of ‘achievers’ classes’ to ensure people, whatever their abilities and diverse needs, could participate and enjoy the friendly competition.

People were given exceptional support to plan for important life changes, so they could make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People wished to remain at Galanos House at the end of their life and staff were skilled and confident to enable this to happen.

The registered manager and staff shared an extremely strong commitment to providing the highest standards of care to people and their loved ones before and after death. The service was accredited under the Gold Standards Framework (GSF) which is a national framework of tools and tasks that aims to deliver a ‘gold standard of care’ for all people nearing the end of their lives. Galanos House had achieved the GSF "Platinum Status" award, signifying the highest level of accreditation a care home can achieve through the Gold Standards Framework.

People and their relatives were encouraged to discuss their wishes and preferences for the care they received at the end of their life. This included information about any religious or cultural beliefs and specific information about what was important to the person in their final days. The service worked with other healthcare professionals to ensure people had the medical interventions and anticipatory medicines in place to manage any discomfort or pain. This holistic approach ensured people died well with dignity and pain free. One healthcare professional told us, “We have anticipatory meds and directives in place for end-of-life care and families are well informed. The (Galanos House) team recently won the award for best palliative care and it’s well deserved for the hardworking team.”

Staff supported people’s relatives to be with their loved ones as they moved towards the end of their life. Relatives were given a ‘dignity box’ full of toiletries and items to provide spiritual support and comfort and were offered the use of a room to stay overnight. One relative whose family member had received end of life care at the home told us staff were supportive but respected their right to be together as a family at the end. They told us, “All the staff were ever so good but not overpowering. They would keep popping in to make sure [Name] was okay and we were okay." Another relative had recently shared their experience and commented, “A dignity box was brought into the room. lt was full of really useful things that I could use; a soft hairbrush, some hand cream, a hand comforter, a book of short stories, a poetry book, an Alexa to play music and some soft towels.”

People’s lives were celebrated as they left the home for the final time. People and staff applauded people as they left the building with the person’s favourite music playing. An annual service gave people, staff and relatives the opportunity to reflect and remember those who had died in the preceding 12 months.

Managers recognised the impact of providing end of life care on their staff team. Staff were supported after a death through reflective practice to identify what had gone well and where improvements could have been achieved. The service had trained grief first aiders and a ‘hug in a mug’ gave staff the opportunity for informal conversations and support.