Pickworth 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. This is the first assessment for this registered service. This key question has been rated as good, 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, well-being and communication needs with them.

Before people moved into Pickworth House a full assessment of their needs was completed to ensure these could be met by the provider and the placement was suitable. People told us they were involved in decisions and discussions about their care needs.

Each person had a core staff team consisting of 3 staff members that were chosen by the resident. The core team would take lead in ensuring that care plans and risk assessments were updated and people were involved in decisions around changes to their care. People’s needs were continually reviewed by the staff team and external professionals, with care plans reviewed monthly or sooner if people’s needs changed.

People were updated and informed when their care and support plan was updated as their needs changed involving them in any decisions made. People were given copies of their care plans if they wanted in formats that they preferred such easy read versions and incorporating communication system that used pictures and symbols.

The provider incorporated the use of a tool that integrated outcome measurements with one-to-one support. This made it easier for both staff and people to see, understand and celebrate each milestone in their progress. Staff were able to identify where a person’s strengths and assets were, what specific help they needed, and how to tailor a plan for making the next step in their journey.

Through joint working with external teams and adhering to existing conditions the provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. The provider actively worked with external professionals to review care regularly and ensure it aligned with up-to-date guidance, legislation, current evidence-based good practice and standards.

Staff planned and delivered care and support based on current legislation, evidence-based best practice, and what mattered most to the person. People’s needs, preferences, and routines shaped their care. A notable milestone was 1 person becoming a Peer Support Worker within the providers second service. Drawing on lived experience, they supported other people and contributed to staff training. With staff support, they even co-developed and delivered their own PBS training session, featuring a reflective tool called ‘The Iceberg’ used to help others explore what lies beneath outward behaviours.The provider made sure that everyone was treated fairly, with respect, and included in decisions about their care.

People were supported in ways that reflected their choices, upheld their rights, and promoted their well-being. This meant they had more control over their daily lives, felt listened to and respected, and received care that truly met their individual needs.

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. They shared clear information when people moved between providers, and helped people prepare for appointments so their voices were heard.

Staff worked in collaboration with external partners, providing regular updates and arranging community and home visits. This provided a level of transparency with people’s best interests in mind and allowed risks to mitigated and success stories to be shared.

Staff used an electronic system to keep care records up to date. This made it easier to share important information with other professionals, like doctors or emergency services. Everyone involved could quickly see accurate details about the person’s needs, health, and support, which helped them work better together and make safer decisions

Feedback from external teams included, “The Pickworth staff have engaged with our team around training on [people] living within their setting. Pickworth provides a very high-quality living space and high quality individual tailored support.” A staff member described this by saying, “We are like a family.”

The provider supported people to manage their health and well-being to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

Staff supported people to book and attend medical appointments within the local community, including dentists and doctors’ appointments. People’s health needs were assessed and care plans documented how best people should be supported. Staff monitored people’s conditions and acted if people became unwell. People told us they had access to health care professionals when they needed them. Staff shared when 1 person arrived at Pickworth House, they had multiple sores across their body including infected toenails that caused discomfort and pain while walking. By staff supporting the person to several GP and chiropodist appointments, the condition improved, and they were no longer in pain.

Staff ensured that people were provided with all relevant information prior and after to attending appointments in formats and ways that they preferred and understood, enabling them to make informed good decisions about their health. People had their health concerns and any changes documented within a healthier lives support plan. This included staff recording people’s weight to monitor changes.

The service was proud to have their own Swallowing, Health and Nutritional Ambassador within the organisation. This was an additional and positive need identified within the organisation due to the differences each person in relation to safe eating and drinking.

The staff team within the service encouraged people and created opportunities to be active together by doing group activitiessuch as going to the local park to use the large field and fixed gym equipment. Each month the provider funded a group activity for the people, booking the local swimming pool or football pitch for all people to take part.

People told us the food was very good, and they had choice and with support or could cook their own meals. People were supported to create their own shopping lists which they would then use to purchase items for themselves in the community in accordance with their chosen menus. Staff supported people with meal ideas and promoted healthy balanced options. People were provided with a large, well-equipped kitchen with labelled food items to ensure they were aware of expiry dates.

People told us, “The food is very good here. We can eat alone but often we will have theme nights or all cook together for a Sunday roast.”

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.

The registered manager told us there were weekly meetings where people were discussed with opportunities for care plans and risk assessments to be discussed and reviewed accordingly.

Pickworth House staff members told us they were active in promoting and enabling people to reconnect with family members and rebuild relationships. This was achieved through arranging family meetings, regular phone contact and external professional guidance. With the support from staff, one person decided to take the significant step in applying to appear on the TV program Long Lost Family with hopes to reconnect with long lost family members.The producers of the showed interest in the story, arrangements by the individual and staff team are being taken to make it a reality.

People were encouraged to maintain independence in areas such as personal care, following hobbies and interests and social engagement. For example, 1 person volunteered weekly at a local farm and engaged in horse riding and fishing.

One person who struggled with their literacy and numeracy skills requested support in improving their skills. Staff members responded by creating an individual ‘Developing Skills’ folder containing accessible worksheets and activities focusing on letter formation, initial sounds, sight words, simple reading and writing games. Goals were also set for the person, that the person wanted, to achieve with the support of staff. These sessions were held on a one-to-one basis once weekly but were increased to twice weekly as a result of the person’s dedication.

These approaches demonstrated that the provider valued and respected people’s rights. People were involved in decisions about their care using communication that worked for them, whether verbal or non-verbal, and consent was always sought in line with their abilities and preferences.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

People’s rights were protected because staff worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff received training on the MCA andDeprivation of Liberty Safeguards(DoLS) and had a good understanding of how to apply the principles in practice. One of the employees expressed an interest in becoming a trainer for the organisation, this employee was also the Safeguarding Ambassador and Dignity Champion. The MCA and DoLS Train the Trainer training consisted of 2 separate modules whereby certification was awarded after completion of the training.