Handford House Care Home

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

At our last assessment the provider was in breach of legal regulation in relation to how people were supported in a person-centred way. At this assessment we found the provider was no longer in breach of regulation. Improvements had been made and were ongoing in people’s care plans which were now person centred. People were receiving person centred care where they were now being consulted about the care and support they received and how it was planned for.

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 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.

Improvements had been made since our last assessment. People’s care plans included their person centred specific needs and guidance for staff in how these were to be met. This included information relating to their health needs and conditions and how these impacted on their daily living.

People’s care plans identified the support they required with their oral care. Daily notes identified where people had been supported with their personal care needs, including cleaning their teeth. These demonstrated people’s independence was being promoted and respected. A person said, “Once or twice a day they use my electric toothbrush for me, I don’t want more.”

Where people were at risk of anxiety and/or distress, their care plans identified how staff were to interact with them to reduce the risks of increased distress. People’s mental health conditions were documented and how they impacted on the person along with signs and indicators of the person becoming unwell and guidance for staff in actions to take.

Daily notes showed when people were offered a wash and or shower to support their personal care needs. People’s choices were being respected, such as when they had declined for example a shower and accepted a body wash. A person told us, “If you need help to wash it is very thorough, very gentle, you don’t feel rushed.”

There was a new activity coordinator in post since January 2025. Records showed they were regularly asking people what they wanted to participate in and any activities they would like to see offered. Care plans showed people and where appropriate their relatives were asked about their favourite interests and if they wished to participate in group activities. The manager told us about plans for outings into the community. There was a programme of group activities in place and the activity staff told us how they undertook 1 – 1 activities with people to avoid the risks of isolation and boredom. People told us they had access to activities, and this was being improved. We saw several people in their bedrooms. A member of staff told us this changed daily and people’s choices were being respected.

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

Ongoing work was taking place in people’s life histories, which would assist staff to better understand the person and their background. People’s care plan included their diverse needs and guidance for staff in how they were to be met. Care plans included information about people’s preferences in relation to socialising and interests.

The manager told us about a recent gardening project where people and their families could plant seeds. We saw the garden had sensory items and newly planted flowers and plants. The planting beds were raised so they were accessible to people who may use a wheelchair. An Easter party had been held prior to our assessment, where relatives were invited and some attended. Relatives told us they could visit their family members when they wanted to and were now being kept updated with any changes in their family member’s wellbeing. A relative said, “I am always welcomed warmly by all the staff.”

Some people using the service were living with dementia and we saw staff communicating effectively with them. The manager told us they were planning to source training which helped staff to understand people’s experiences of living with dementia. On our first visit we noted there were no items on the first floor, where people living with dementia were mainly accommodated, which people could use to handle and interact with, apart from 3D pictures in one of the lounges. We fed back our findings to the management team, on the second visit we saw these were in place, including fiddle mats and boards with items such as bolts and latches. The manager told us there were also handbags, 3 of which had been collected by a person using the service. The manager showed us a room which was in the process of being prepared to include sensory equipment, which would be mobile and could be taken to people in their bedrooms or shared areas if they did not wish to go to the sensory room. The manager told us some relatives had suggested having historical pictures in the service of the local area and other areas where people had lived, to aid memories. We saw this had been done.

Staff had been trained in people’s diverse needs, this including training in equality and diversity, dementia and learning disability and autism.

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

Since 2016 all organisations that provide publicly funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard. The Accessible Information Standard tells organisations what they have to do to help ensure people with a disability or sensory loss, and in some circumstances, their carers, get information in a way they can understand it. It also says that people should get the support they need in relation to communication.

People’s care plans included information about how they communicated and any specific requirements they had in the way information was shared with them, such as easy read and audio formats, which could be provided to ensure people had access to information which could be understood.

Staff had received training in communication and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and there were policies and procedures in place relating to these areas.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

There was a complaints procedure in place and complaints were managed in line with the procedure, this included the timescales set for investigation and response. Records of complaints were maintained, and included actions taken, if they were upheld, when a response was provided to the complainant and lessons learned to reduce future risks.

People and relatives told us how improvements had been made in the service, this included an increased confidence that their concerns would be listened to and addressed. A relative told us, “Before, I would ask things of the manager and they were not acted on. Now, I feel that the manager is attentive and acts on things. Simple example: we spent months asking for [family member] to have fruits instead of biscuits, soon after the change in management, we saw [family member] had access to fruits every day.”

Meetings were held for people using the service and for relatives, they were updated on any actions taken as a result of their comments in the next meeting. A relative told us, “A relatives meeting has now been put in place each month to ascertain what relatives feel about care provided. Too soon to ascertain result.”

There was a ‘you said we did’ notice board, which showed actions had been taken when individuals had made suggestions or comments about the service provided, both in meetings and comments made in satisfaction surveys. A relative told us, “They brought back the weekend receptionist, amazing as it could be 10 minutes to get in the front door, we pushed for that at the relatives meeting… been brilliant.”

Monthly newsletters were now being provided to people and relatives which kept them up to date with any changes in the service and what had been happening during that month.

The manager told us how their rating had improved on a website where people could share their views about services.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The environment was accessible for people who used, for example, equipment to mobilise, including wider doors and passenger lifts. Signage was in the service to assist people to independently navigate, for example to toilets and their bedrooms. A person showed us their bedroom door which had their name on and told us they recognised this as their bedroom.

Equipment was available to ensure people received the care and support they required and maintain independence, this included hoists and equipment to maintain independence when eating and drinking.

Where staff had concerns about people’s wellbeing referrals were made to health care professionals to ensure they could access the care and treatment they required. Any treatment and referrals were incorporated in the care plans to ensure consistency of care and support.

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.

Policies and procedures were in place relating to people’s human rights and equity. People’s documents included their care needs relating to their diversity and guidance was provided to staff in how the care provision was tailored to meet their needs to reduce the risks of discrimination and inequality. Concerns relating to treatment which may indicate neglect or abuse, were raised with the local authority safeguarding team to ensure they were investigated by the professionals who had the remit to investigate these concerns. Outcomes were used to drive improvement. Where things had gone wrong, for example incidents or accidents, the management team had used their Duty of Candour policy and procedure to advise people and their representatives, where appropriate, what had happened, actions taken and an apology where required.

Where people raised concerns or comments about their care this was valued and used to improve the service. Since our last assessment improvements had been made in how people and their relatives, where appropriate, were consulted about their care needs and how their care was planned for.

Where the management team had identified barriers to the receipt of care and treatment, they had addressed this, for example by meeting with health care professionals to discuss and resolve.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Since our last assessment improvements had been made in how the provider sought and documented people’s end of life decisions. People’s care plans included the decisions they had made relating to the end of their life, for example, if they wished to be resuscitated. The care plan of a person who was receiving palliative care included guidance for staff in how to support the person to maintain their comfort and wellbeing, including the music they liked, and how staff would source anticipatory medicines to aid a pain free death. Despite the person stating they were not ready to discuss their end of life plan, attempts had been made by staff to document what the person had shared about their likes and dislikes, and contact had been made with the person’s representative to discuss. A person told us, “I love being here, the owner said 2 weeks ago this is my home for life, this is my end of life home, that made me feel comforted.” This demonstrated a sensitive and caring approach to end of life.