Meadow Park

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 service met people’s needs. 

At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff were 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. A person told us, “I know what goes on, there are notices on the walls, staff tell us everything we need to know.” The ethos of the organisation promoted a person-centred culture where people were at the heart of the service and staff were committed to ensuring they received the very best possible support in a caring and nurturing environment. A person commented, “Staff go through the schedule, what foods you like, any allergies, you can bring your own things in, this was my chair at home.”

There were several examples of where staff had gone 'the extra mile' to provide exceptionally caring and compassionate support. A staff member commented, “Any routine is set by the residents, we follow that.” Personalised and responsive care was evident in a range of thoughtful actions taken by staff. For example, a person who had been a motor biker was supported by staff to access a motor biking forum, so they still felt part of the biking community. A photograph album was made of each person showing their daily life within Meadow Park. The album was used as a memory book, and passed onto their relatives, as a keep sake, after the person died. Another person enjoyed specific activities, such as the gentleman’s club on a Sunday afternoon, football on the television, curtains drawn, no ladies allowed and a pint in his hand. Staff supported them to go the local club with some of the other men within Meadow Park and have a game of darts. The person was supported to attend the Cenotaph every year to pay their respects and wear their poppy with pride. A person diagnosed with a life limiting illness had a lifelong passion to visit St James’s Park Football Stadium and this was realised when the staff team supported them to visit the football ground with some other people living at Meadow Park. They enjoyed lunch and the highlight of the person’s day was listening to a presentation given by some of the retired footballers of their generation. During the Strictly Come Dancing season a staff member commented, “On Saturdays now there is a ‘Strictly night’, the kitchen will do some snacks, Baileys, hot chocolate, and will do the same for the results show on Sunday evening.”

Staff at the service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. Information was available and shared between services as needed to ensure people's care and treatment needs could be assessed and met. There was strong communication and liaison with other agencies involved in providing support to a person, to ensure there was joined up and seamless care. A professional commented, “Staff make timely referrals to professionals and also do so often without prompt, prior to updating me with changes to care plans.” 

The provider advertised that it could supply appropriate, accurate and up-to date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. Information was mostly made available to meet people’s needs. For example, with the use of communication cards, audio books and large print books. People had access to subtitles on television to support them to follow the programme. However, some people did not always have information in formats to suit them, for example, with large print or pictorial menus or for the activities programme. At mealtimes people were able to select their choice of food from the 2 different meals shown to them and written menus were displayed, but they were in small print, which did not meet the communication needs of everyone. We were told by the registered manager this would be addressed.

The provider was good 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 encouraged and supported to get involved in the running of the service. Regular meetings took place with people to consult with people and get their feedback. A person commented, “We have a meeting every month.”

Staff were good at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People's care records showed they had access to care and support, and referrals were made for treatment promptly. Care records included information around people's sensory and communication needs. Staff advocated for people or secured advocates for them to ensure they received the treatment they needed. An on-call system was in place to provide advice and support to people and staff if needed.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Care plans included information around people’s identity, things which were important to them, their wishes and relationships they wanted to maintain. A relative commented, “We had a booklet to fill in before [Name] moved in.” The registered manager ensured peoples’ social and healthcare needs were fully considered and met.

Staff provided exceptional individualised care to people as they reached the end of their life. This included ensuring people who wished to remain at the home were cared for in the way they wished. Information was collected about how the person wished to be cared for before this important stage in their life was reached, whilst the person was still able to state their wishes. People’s wishes to remain at the home were respected when they neared the end of their life. Advanced care plans that were in place contained people’s plans for the future and if they wished to be transferred to hospital if their health deteriorated. Detailed care plans contained people’s plans for the future, with information about people's religion and cultural preferences if this support was required. A person commented, “I have always thought Meadow Park is the nicest home, I want to stay here until I die.” There were examples of the exceptional care, thoughtfulness of staff and the positive impact to people as described elsewhere in the report to help people fulfil some of their dreams and aspirations before they died. The staff and management had received many compliments from families for the exceptionally compassionate and person-centred care they provided to people as they neared the end of their life.