Carricks Brook

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.

Before people moving into the home there was an assessment of people’s needs and choices to ensure these could be met at the home. People and their relatives were involved in these decisions and discussions. People’s needs were continually reviewed. Care plans and risk assessments were updated as their needs and preferences changed. Staff knew and understood people really well. They were updated about any change to support needs and this helped to ensure appropriate care and support was provided.

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 who had a diagnosis of epilepsy had their health overseen and regularly monitored by a specialist epilepsy nurse with clear management guidance in place. Records showed the use of nationally recognised tools for example, the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) for monitoring people’s weight. Staff received PBS training, and this was used consistently to identify the causes of people’s anxieties to support and reduce them.

Staff received regular training and updates to help ensure they understood the current standards of care to support people effectively. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how each person’s learning disability and autism impacted on their lives and what they needed to do to be able to deliver effective support to each person.

People’s care and support needs were regularly reviewed, and staff were aware of any changes. Care plans and risk assessments included details of the support required.

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 worked together with other teams to ensure people received the appropriate care and support. Records showed, and staff told us about referrals and ongoing discussions that were taking place regarding people’s health and social care needs. Staff told us they worked together as a team to ensure people received the care and support they needed. One staff member said, “We’re a good team, we all work well together, I never feel like I’m doing more than I should be, it’s well managed.”

Staff were updated each day at handover and through information on electronic devices, about changes to people’s needs. There was a plan developed each day which included information about what each person was doing, details of any appointments or planned visits. This was also used to inform staff of who they were supporting and any other roles for which they were responsible. Staff told us this was helpful as it provided a structure and guidance throughout the shift. It enabled them to be aware of the roles of other staff in addition to their own. Staff worked across roles which helped to ensure the service ran smoothly.

Feedback from external professionals was positive. They told us staff worked well with them and provided all the relevant information needed to support people.

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.

Staff understood people’s health needs and when to contact the relevant health professionals. People attended regular health appointments and checks including the dentist and optician. Staff understood how people may present if they felt unwell or were in pain. This information was also recorded in people’s care plans. Staff were also mindful that changes in people’s behaviours may indicate they were unwell. We saw that following some unexplained behavioural changes one person was reviewed by their GP to ascertain if there were any physical or health reasons for the change.

People’s relatives told us their loved one’s health was well managed. One relative explained their loved one may not always co-operate with medical interventions or health checks, but this did not prevent staff from seeking support when required.

One healthcare professional told us, “Staff at Carricks Brook openly engaged with our input during this visit; asking questions to ensure they were doing the best they could, and acting on any feedback provided.” Another healthcare professional said, “Staff are really good, they advocate for people and can identify when they are unwell.”

Care plans contained information about people’s health and well-being needs. These were regularly reviewed and updated. They provided clear guidance for staff.

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.

There were systems in place to monitor people’s care and support. This helped to continually improve outcomes and ensured the support provided met people’s needs. Relatives told us about the positive improvements their loved ones had made since moving into the home. One relative told us, due to past trauma, their loved one had not been able to communicate verbally when they moved into the home. With consistent and appropriate support, they were now able to communicate verbally.

Staff knew people well and monitored them throughout each day they were able to identify changes in people’s well-being and health. Staff received PBS training, and this gave them the knowledge and skills to reduce stress and triggers. This had led to significant reduction of incidents and restraint.

People’s health was monitored. weight was checked to identify if there was any unexpected weight loss. People’s nutritional needs were monitored as required, for example some people were reluctant to drink, and this was managed and monitored to prevent any risk of dehydration.

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

Staff received MCA training. They told us they offered people choices and supported them to make their own decisions. Throughout our visit we observed people being offered choices in line with their individual needs. For some people, too many choices may cause them distress therefore routine was very important. Whilst choices were still offered these were done with consideration of the individuals needs and responses.