UniqCare Islington

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 newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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.

Care plans, including risk assessments, were compiled and reviewed at least annually. These could be reviewed more frequently as or when potential changes to support needs were identified.

A care worker told us “I have the responsibility to identify which client’s care needs changes. Observe and report when a client’s needs increase or reduce or require immediate attention or changes to the care plan.”

Care plans were suitable and detailed and referred to relevant areas dependent upon people’s current care and support needs. They also included action care staff should take if someone’s health and day to day wellbeing may be of concern.

Care records included details of other health and care professionals involved with people’s continuing care and relatives or friends who supported the person.

The care plans were written in the first person, putting each person at the centre of the information about their care and support needs. People’s preferences were written from each person’s perspective.

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.

Care workers documented the support provided, recorded observations, noted any concerns, and the detail of outcomes of each visit. The manager regularly reviewed the completed care worker notes to ensure quality, and continuity of care. This was carried out to ensure that any concerns or changes in needs were promptly addressed and followed up as required. A person using the service told us“Yes I get the right support.”

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.

The provider gave us an example of pro-active involvement by the service in securing the most effective support from a local authority. For example, a person who experience a challenge to communicate effectively with other health and social care professionals. The service had used their experience to build trust and good professional relationships to help the person to receive support from the local authority and ensured their needs were not overlooked.

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.

Due to people’s varying health and care needs the provider was in communication with other health and social care partners as and when people’s individual circumstances necessitated this. The effect of this partnership working was that people received care in line with their agreed care plan which met their current health care needs. A relative of a person using the service told us "Staff encourage me with personal care and activities.”They were referring to how their family work with staff to provide good support to their relatives.

A care worker described how they support people and said, “I support the client with their healthcare needs in line with their care plans and risk assessments. For example, I contact the GP on the client’s behalf to arrange an appointment and help them to follow up appointments."The member of care staff was referring to how they supported a person to ensure that any follow up appointments were supported.

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 and support needs were regularly monitored which we saw from evidence in care plans and risk assessments. These all showeed, along with other areas of day to day oversight, that the service paid attention to each person's individual needs.

A care worker told us, “I help people by encouraging them to eat healthy food, drink more fluids and exercise.” Another care worker told us that “I encourage my clients to continue or pick up hobbies and activities they’d enjoy to allow them to raise their own morale. “

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

There were systems and processes to support people to make decisions. People were encouraged to share their views and make decisions about their care.

The provider had policies and procedures in place to respond when people may need to have their capacity assessed or required others to consent on their behalf. Care staff had received training in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and how this could affect people's ability to provide informed consent.

A care worker told us, “As care staff, we are trained and regularly reminded by management to seek consent before providing care and to always deliver support in a person-centred way. Consent is sought each time care is provided, rather than assuming ongoing consent.”