Heyberry House

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 71 (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 care needs were fully assessed before moving into Heyberry House. This helped to ensure a smooth transition to help them settle in quickly and have their needs known and met. A family member told us, “[Staff] were really flexible and understanding when [Name] moved in. They took the time to encourage [Name] to make new friendships.”

The provider 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 and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

Risk assessments and care plans reflected professional guidance received about people’s care needs and we observed staff following this guidance when assisting people. For example, staff were knowledgeable about medical conditions and people’s eating and drinking needs and associated risks. This included when people needed a modified diet.

People generally spoke positively about the food available. Comments included, “I like all the food here, I’m not a fussy eater and it’s all homemade and the cakes are wonderful” and “The food is good and I suppose they would give me something else if I wanted it, but it’s all nice so I don’t need to ask. They give us a choice anyway and they show us the food so we can see it.”

One person did comment the mealtime service could be quite slow which meant they waited some time. We shared this feedback with the manager who told us they would review practices.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

Referrals were made to other health and social care professionals when needed. Referrals were appropriate and made in a timely manner based on people’s needs.

Family members feel well informed about people and any changes in care. Comments included, “The staff let [family member] know about things because they are next of kin” and “They contact me if there’s a need to.”

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to access doctor appointments and other health services when needed.

Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support. For example, one family member told us their loved one had moved into the service underweight which was impacting significantly on their general health. They spoke positively about the care which staff had provided and said, “Since living here, [Name] has regained their weight.”

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

One family member told us about some recent weight loss for one person. We reviewed their care plan and monitoring records. Records demonstrated specialist dietary advice had been sought, and the person was being offered high calorie snacks to prevent further weight loss. Staff were recording and closely monitoring the persons food intake and weight and concerns were being escalated to senior staff so further action could be taken if needed.

Another family member described poor mental health their loved one had experienced, and the actions staff had taken to monitor and improve their quality of life. This included working closely with them and other medical professionals. They told us, “[Name] is happier and smiling and that was really because they listened and understood what we told them.”

The provider did not always tell people about their rights around consent. Decisions had not always been recorded in a way which demonstrated they had been fully made in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

When a person lacked capacity to consent to an aspect of their care, the provider had assessed their capacity and made decisions in their best interests, however, records did not always include the details of people who had been involved in making the decision. The manager told us they were aware of some shortfalls and were in the process of undertaking a review of peoples care records.

We did observe staff always seeking consent from people before providing care and assistance. We also observed staff knocking on bedroom doors before entering and engaging in polite and respectful conversation with people.