Red Oaks

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 the same. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People’s needs had been thoroughly assessed before they moved into the home and continued to be reviewed regularly. One person said, “They came to my house. They found out about me and told me all about the home. It was very nice.” One staff member said, “We have a new resident came in yesterday, so we make sure all their baseline observations are recorded.”

Assessments considered social, health, emotional and communication needs, as well as personal preferences for their support. Protected characteristics and diverse needs under the Equality Act 2010 formed part of this process. For example, people’s religious needs and preferences were captured.

People received care, treatment and support that was evidence-based and in line with good practice standards. The providers’ systems ensured that staff were up to date with national legislation and required standards.

Assessments of people's care and risks were supported by use of best practice tools. For example, evidence-based guidance such as the malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST) was used to help to identify those at risk of malnutrition. One staff member said, “Another assessment we use is pain aid tool to assess pain in people living with dementia who might be unable to communicate their pain verbally.”

Staff have access to the information they need to appropriately assess, plan and deliver people’s care, treatment and support. When people received care from a range of different staff, teams or services, it was coordinated effectively.

Information was shared between teams and services to ensure continuity of care, for example when care was coordinated between clinical and care staff. Handovers between staff and the provider’s staffing structure supported this link and information about people’s care was shared effectively and promptly. One staff member said, “I am a link between the service users and the nurses, and the nurses appreciate and value this role. It takes the pressure off them.”

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing. People’s health and clinical needs were monitored and reviewed regularly by nursing and care staff.

People were supported to live healthier lives and had access to healthcare specialists and partners. Appropriate and timely referrals were made to health partners when additional support was identified. Many activities that people had access to focussed on exercise, movement and physical wellbeing.

People’s dietary needs were identified and catered for. When people had been identified as needing additional support to eat, referrals to speech and language therapists were made for those needing assistance with swallowing, and meals were fortified to improve nutritional intake.

People spoke positively about the quality of food and dining experience. One person said, “The food is brilliant; top class. They’ll always offer you something else if you don’t like the choice.” Another person said, “It’s perfect. If you don’t like what’s on the menu, you can have something else.”

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent.

Outcomes of people’s health and well-being were monitored by staff. Care plans and risk assessments were consistently reviewed and updated to reflect people’s changing needs. For example, where a nutrition risk had been identified, there was consistent recording and monitoring of people’s food and fluid intake to ensure they had appropriate levels of nutrition and hydration. People’s weights were closely monitored. Staff ensured that people at risk of skin integrity breakdown were repositioned and monitored. One relative said, “Her diet is limited. We suggest and propose sweet things she’d like. They’re focused on the weight loss now because we are.”

People understand their rights around consent to the care and treatment and their views and wishes were taken into account when their care was planned. People who had capacity were supported to make choices and consent to their care.

Where people did not have the capacity to make certain decisions, appropriate assessments had been carried out, with decisions made with those involved in the care, such as family members or health professionals, so that decisions could be made in their best interests. Management and staff adopted least restrictive practices. One staff member said, “We do talk about their capacity and we involve family and we involve the GP and then we discuss what is in their best interest, if they have capacity, we want to understand what they are capable of doing and if they have any options, what are the options for them. It's always the least restrictive.”

Staff and management worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the MCA. Practices were in place to ensure that people understood the care and treatment being offered which helped them make an informed decision.