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

The registered manager made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. A thorough pre-assessment process for anyone wanting to move to the home was in place and was carried out by the registered manager. The process involved several visits, interviews with people and their loved ones as well as close liaison with other professionals. A relative said, “The pre-assessment – at home and at school. They came to our house and we also had to complete a long on-line process.” The assessment considered all of people’s care and support needs and measured these against the skills, experience and training of the staffing team. Most people living at the home attended a local college during the day and their suitability for this was also assessed. The dynamic between people living at the home was important to the registered manager and people being able to live comfortably with their peers in a friendly and supportive environment was also key. Before people moved in, their bedrooms were re-decorated in colours and designs that they chose or preferred. Understanding people’s communication needs was also an important element when people first moved in. Staff quickly learned through individual support about people’s likes, preferences and preferred routines and how they felt comfortable and able to communicate. The registered manager told us that they carried out a process called mirroring which assisted people in settling in. This involved sharing and understanding experiences, providing choices for people and facilitating their choices and freedom to move safely around the home. Everyone received 1 to 1 support during their first few days at the home. Care plans and risk assessments were developed during the first few days of people living at the home and were updated daily. Over time, reviews of these documents moved to 6 monthly or more frequently following any changes in peoples’ needs, presentation or following an incident.

The registered manager 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. People were involved in planning and day to day management of their support needs. They were supported by their family members with some decision making but everything was discussed with people. People were able to chose whether they were supported by male or female staff and if they expressed a preference then this was put in place for them. Some people, due to past life experiences, had a fear of people wearing uniforms. No staff wore uniforms and people benefitted from living in a small home where everyone knew each other and all the staff. The registered manager made sure that any visiting professionals were appropriately dressed so as not to cause any anxiety. The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) was used to support people to communicate and develop language skills. PECS is a recognised tool used for this purpose and involves pictures of objects and people’s feelings. PECS had been used to help people describe if they were feeling unwell or were uncomfortable.

The registered manager 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. The registered manager and professionals that we spoke with, all reported a positive working relationship that provided the best care and support possible to people living at the home. A professional who was responsible for the safe transition of a person to the home told us that on their first visit they were given a tour of the whole home, introduced to other people and staff and given all the support they needed to complete a safe transition. They told us, “The team explained how meals, housework, and daily activities are structured to promote resident involvement.” Regular appointments with GP’s, dentists, podiatrists were made and specialist services were also requested when needed for example the Speech and Language Team (SALT) and Occupational Therapists. A staff member told us that whenever an appointment was made it was recorded in a diary as well as people’s care plans. This helped giving enough time to arrange transport. Key information from people’s care plans was available to print and send with people to appointments or for longer term absence for example, when attending hospital.

The registered manager supported people to manage their health and wellbeing 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. People’s nutrition and hydration needs were met. Each week people discussed with their support worker their menu for the following week. People were encouraged to choose a balanced diet and there were always alternatives available if needed. At mealtimes people were supported to make their own meals and then to chose where they wanted to eat with most choosing to eat together in a communal dining room. Some people were at risk of choking and required their food to be chopped into small pieces. Others had allergies. All this information was contained in care plans and known well by their carers. Within the confines of safety people were encouraged and supported to take exercise and to be involved in activities that were good for their physical and mental wellbeing. A daily exercise class was attended by almost everyone living at the home and could be enjoyed by people at a speed and intensity of their choosing. Some people went swimming and played racket sports regularly and all took daily walks.

The registered manager monitored all people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they fully met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. Everyone living at the home displayed signs over time of significant improvements in their health and wellbeing. People’s lives had been transformed since moving into the home. The over-riding ethos at the home, driven by the registered manager, was one of improving people’s quality of life and everyone had benefitted from this. One person, who had been nonverbal for nearly their whole life, through encouragement and support was now able to repeat a few simple words. This had given them a new confidence with their communication which in turn had increased their confidence with other aspects of their life. Another who when they first arrived at the home spent their time sitting on the sofa, not speaking or interacting with staff or their peers, had over time been supported to get involved with activities within the home and then had been supported to attend college. At the time of this assessment, this person was taking part in sporting activities and had secured a volunteering role in a local charity shop. Another with a similar initial presentation of non-involvement and little ability to communicate, due to the 1 to 1 support and encouragement received, attended college where they took part in several courses and has realised a passion for singing as a way of self-calming when feeling anxious. Progress reports and personal targets were displayed around the home and in people’s bedrooms. Relatives, without exception, told us how their loved ones lives had been transformed since living at the home. Most people had lived at the home for several years and some of the increased confidence and involvement with tasks and activities had taken time but everyone had experienced a significant improvement in their quality of life.

The registered manager told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. People were encouraged to make daily decisions about tasks, activities and jobs that needed doing. They could choose when to bathe or shower, what food and drink they wanted throughout each day, what clothes to wear and where they wanted to spend their time around the home. People lacked the capacity to make more complex decisions and these were therefore supported by staff. Staff knew about the importance of gaining consent from people before supporting them and never forced people to do things they did not want to. A relative commented, “They certainly encourage and do not tell them to do things. If they want them to move to the dining area for example, they will be encouraged never forced.” A staff member said, “I always assume the person can decide but would then support in their best interests in a least restrictive way. We support them to make their own decisions.”