Orchid 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 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, wellbeing and communication needs with them. People had their needs assessed and had associated care plans in place. Records contained detailed information about what was important to them, their likes, wishes and preferences. This included people’s history and family and friends which were important to them. A relative said, “They communicate well and keep me up to date with everything especially when a fall happened, and they kept us well informed. They involve us in the care plans. They always let me know about incidents and ask me for my consent.”

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. People were supported by a range of professionals, who reviewed their care, such as community learning disability teams and psychiatrists. Advice from professionals was included in people's care records.

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. Staff told us they worked well together, and communication and culture was good amongst the team. A staff member said, “I really enjoy it, everyone is lovely, any problems or issues things are sorted by managers straight away. It is a warm and welcoming home. People are definitely safe here.” Staff supported people to access healthcare and attend appointments. For example, staff had worked closely with the physiotherapy team, to enable a person to increase their mobility. Partners told us the service worked well with them.

The provider 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. The provider had recently introduced a nutritional champion, who promoted healthy eating and encouraged people to have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. People had access to fresh fruit, and a varied diet was decided each week with people. Information about healthy eating was available to people and staff including 'Eat well plates'. People were supported by staff to attend routine health appointments and check-ups. Monthly observations were in place, where staff checked people's oral health, weights and skin integrity.

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. People’s care records were monitored and reviewed, and people were involved in regular meetings about their care. People were encouraged to give feedback about their care and told us they had good outcomes. Such as learning new activities. 1 person was supported to have pet fish, and this person had several TV's and gaming equipment in place, which was important to them. They told us, “I clean my fish tank with staff every week. I love playing on my games console.” A staff member said, “People are well looked after, they are always happy and smiling. They go out all the time and do lots of activities. The food is great, people sit and choose their meals, and we do a menu for the week.”

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. Staff respected peoples wishes and understood their responsibilities to gain consent from people. For example, some people had social media accounts, and where a person had not wished to disclose their password to staff, this was respected. People had signed to consent to their care and treatment, including the use of photographs and sharing of information. A person said, “I like living here. I can get up when I want. Staff get me a drink. If I want a biscuit the staff will get me one. I get a choice of food. I like my bedroom. I have a new bed and bedding and a TV. I have a key worker. I like them they make me laugh. If I was unhappy, I could talk to the staff. I like all the staff. I am happy and feel safe.”