Frinton House

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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 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. Care and support were provided in a way that put people at the centre of everything. People were involved in decision making about all aspects of their care, daily lives and routines. When people had been assessed as not having capacity to make decisions about some more complex issues, they were still included in those discussions. This included for example people receiving support from visiting professionals and on occasions where people needed medical help away from the service. People told us about how living at the home made them feel empowered to live their best lives. A person told us of a less happy experience in a former home and how moving here had transformed their life. They said they used to get told to do things rather than asked and encouraged to take part. They now took pride in heir food preparation, the tidiness and cleanliness of their bedroom and the friends they had made since living at the home. People’s bedrooms were person centred. Colour patterns had been chosen by people. Every bedroom had photographs, personal effects and any sensory equipment that they needed or had asked for. Every room had a ‘goals’ board which described both short- and longer-term goals that people wanted to achieve. The registered manager had introduced an awards certificate for various domestic achievements for example, maintaining a good level of cleanliness of their bedrooms. These awards were fairly shared round all people living at the home over time. Care plans were person-centred breaking down all aspects of support needed but emphasising people’s abilities. People were involved in reviews of their care plans.

The registered manager understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. The registered manager had established relationships with other professionals over time that had resulted in people receiving the care and support they needed in a consistent, timely way and from the same group of individuals. This was important to people and their loved ones as people got to know those professionals and consequently trust and understanding developed. With regard to continuity of people’s care a relative told us, “When I’m no longer able to visit, I know they will be well looked after. The manager has said not to worry and that they will care for them, it’s very comforting to know.” Care plans held details of people’s health and social care needs and there were regularly updated as part of a review process or more frequently following an incident, illness or other change in people’s presentation. A professional said, “I believe my client is supported by a strong and committed care team who will continue to ensure their safety, happiness, and consistent support.”

The registered manager supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People had differing levels of communication need. Some were able to communicate verbally and some were able to understand and use a few words. Others did not use words to communicate.People’s communication needs were understood by staff and people were supported to express themselves and make their wishes and feelings known. Staff knew people well and understood the physical presentations of people and how these changed according to how they were feeling. A staff member explained to us about 1person they supported and how they used Makaton, facial expressions and gestures. They explained they understood what people were saying and how small gestures and changes to facial expressions could indicate they were happy, anxious, in discomfort or simply wanted something to eat or drink. Makaton is a recognised language program using some speech and signs and symbols to help people living with speech difficulties to communicate. Signs, symbols and pictures were also used to help people with communication. Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) were used throughout the home so people could see pictorial representations of for example, food and activities. This helped people to be able to communicate their choices. Relatives and loved ones told us that the communication between the home and themselves was consistent and timely and they were always kept in the loop with any changes or developments.

The registered manager 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. People were supported to give their feedback about the home and were encouraged to make suggestions and ideas, which would make things better for them and their peers. People were able to make immediate observations and suggestions each day to staff that were supporting them. This sometimes simply involved changes to their daily routines or activities and sometimes to group activity choices or the layout and décor of the home. Meetings were held with people and their loved ones to review their support and this also provided an opportunity for people to provide their feedback. Resident meetings were also regularly held and people were supported to make suggestions in a group setting. A complaints policy was in place and this was accessible to people in formats that could be understood. Relatives told us they were confident to raise issues and complaints if needed and that any concerns would be dealt with. Relatives also told us they were given regular opportunities to provide feedback and received questionnaires to complete as well as having face to face conversations with managers.

The registered manager made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People had access to health and social care professionals when they needed it. This made sure that they received the most appropriate and best care and support available and that people never had to wait to receive the care they needed. The registered manager told us about positive working relationships and how they could quickly access support if needed alongside the regular appointments that people had. A professional told us, “They demonstrate a clear commitment to equity in access by ensuring clients receive fair, appropriate, and individualised support. The team proactively work to identify my client’s needs and to remove barriers to participation.” They went on to say, “The team have been working with my client from the start to enable them to engage fully in daily routines, activities, and decision‑making. The team is learning about my young person’s abilities and preferences; it is an ongoing process.”

Staff and leaders were innovative in how they listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. Staff and leaders actively used this information to provide exceptionally tailored care, support and treatment in response to this.People were listened to and subsequent actions taken by managers and staff made sure that they achieved their goals and ambitions and were able to fulfil dreams and aspirations. The support provided to people to help facilitate their goals was unique to them and exceptional in the outcomes produced. Most people when they first arrived at the home were withdrawn and were not initially interested or able to participate in activities of any kind. People’s strengths were identified and barriers were removed to help people to express their wishes and then to fulfil them. For example, a person who initially was withdrawn and did not speak or engage with staff or their peers, through the encouragement and support from staff, was now attending college. Some people were supported to apply for passports which then resulted in them being able to take short holidays abroad. A person had exceeded their own aspirations by securing a part time, paid job in a local charity shop. Another represented the home as a ’expert by experience.’ They visited other care homes and gave supported presentations to other people living with learning disabilities relating to Oliver McGowan training. This is the governments preference and recommended Training on Learning Disability and Autism for health and social care staff. The presentation provided by the expert by experience provided information to people about current expectations relating to right support and culture. People were supported to participate not only in day-to-day activities but in the actual running and support of the home. Fire and health and safety wardens had been appointed and people had some key responsibilities that they were responsible for and were supported to achieve. Different cultures and faiths were represented and these were individually supported and celebrated. A recent significant date in a person’s cultural calendar was celebrated with cooking a particular range of food from the person’s culture which they were able to share with everyone. Another person was supported to attend a local church and had recently been through a significant process as part of their faith. Many of the activities and achievements centred around helping other people. For example, some helped with a local homeless charity. The ethos and culture at the service fostered the spirit of helping others and this was apparent throughout our assessment where people were frequently seen supporting their peers and asking each other if they needed help.

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. People were given the opportunity to discuss their future care arrangements including their end-of-life support. Not everyone wanted to discuss these issues and this was respected and decisions were recorded within care plans. The registered manager told us that those who had expressed views about future care, all had stated they wanted to stay at the home. This had recently been put into practice with a person who was coming towards the end of their life and the registered manager managed to secure equipment and made modifications to their bedroom so that they were able to be safely and comfortably supported. These decisions were made with other professionals including the person’s GP. Relatives we spoke with were in agreement that they wanted their loved ones to remain at the home for as long as possible and were also in agreement that any move, especially at that time in a person’s life, would be very unsettling for them.