Witham Community Care Limited

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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 managers were exceptional at making 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. People were always at the centre of how, when and why care was provided. The registered managers were innovative in their approach to fulfilling people’s needs and involving them and their loved ones in all aspects of their care. We were shown examples of significant improvements in people’s presentation, independence and overall wellbeing. For example, a person had lost all confidence in their mobility during a prolonged stay in hospital. The registered managers created a package of care that supported the person’s immediate care and support needs and included specific routines that would improve the person’s confidence when moving around their home. This was over and above the expected care package provided and resulted in the person regaining their confidence to live safely and independent in their own home again. A further example involved a person experiencing heightened anxiety, again following a stay in hospital. The registered managers, with the consent of the person, arranged a meeting with the mental health team and came up with ways in which to improve their confidence and wellbeing. These interventions worked and the person is now discharged from the additional support provided by the mental health team and is living an independent and happy life at home. The registered managers were aware of the distress social isolation caused to some people they supported. This was particularly evident with people living with dementia. The registered managers set up a day centre which runs one day a month (there are plans to expand this) and provides an opportunity for people to get together, meet, socialise and have a meal together and help reduce those feelings of isolation. Feedback from people was overwhelmingly positive with everyone saying it was the highlight of their month. Guests were invited to these groups including singing groups and baby sensory meetings. The latter involved parents attending with their young children which people told us they enjoyed. To further reduce isolation the registered managers introduced a scheme called, ‘Battling Lionesses.’ This was a group of people who met to come up with innovative ideas to combat isolation. More recently the registered managers have started to record a ‘you said we did’ document which recorded details of when an issue was raised by a person or relative and the actions taken by the service to immediately resolve the matter. A recent example involved introducing a new way of encouraging a person to consent to personal care that enabled them to be involved in supporting themselves in a way that suited them. All of these activities went over and above what was expected of the service. People and their loved ones told us about what was important to them with most saying consistency and being supported by the same small team of care staff. The registered managers made sure this happened and that people were matched with staff who had similar interests and outlooks on life, again placing the person at the centre of all interactions. All care plans began with a section called, about me. This brought to the forefront people’s personal histories and the journey taken to reach the current stage of their lives.

The registered managers understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. People received their support at times that suited them. Contingencies were in place if a member of staff was unavoidably delayed and people told us they always received a telephone call and update when this happened. However, care calls were seldom late and there were no reports of any call having been missed. People were provided with a rota of when and who would be attending to support them and people told us this was helpful. The registered managers understood that people had additional needs and some required support in making appointments with other professionals and sometime sin attending appointments. A person told us that they were recently helped to attend a dentist appointment as their family could not help. There care call time was adjusted to accommodate this. Professionals told us that care was joined up and people received any additional support they needed. One professional said, “From working together I can see they are proactive in sharing relevant information and working with other professionals to ensure the service user receives the support needed.”

The registered managers supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. Communication between people and the service worked well. Everyone told us they felt informed and up to date with things that directly affected them for example, rotas and wider issues that affected the service. The registered managers had an accessible information standards policy in place which ensured the service had information available to people in formats that suited their needs. Care plans and details of daily care calls and actions taken by staff at each visit were recorded online. Most of these details were accessible to relatives so they could see some detail about what had taken place during the recent calls. Relatives, especially those that lived some distance away and could not regularly visit, told us this was a comfort to them.

The provider 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 and their loved ones had a voice. They could provide feedback about the service in a variety of ways. Some people remembered having completed questionnaires but everyone told us they could pick up the phone any time or simply talk to their care staff and provide feedback they considered necessary. A complaint policy was in place and a clear process to follow was known by people and their relatives. People told us they felt confident to complain or raise concerns if they needed to and that their concerns would be taken seriously. No official complaints had been received since the service opened however minor incidents and concerns were also captured to enable the registered managers to immediately address issues and look for any trends or patterns. A compliments register called ‘acts of kindness,’ was kept and contained many examples of letters and emails and details from telephone calls where people and their relatives had contacted the service to say, thank you.

The registered managers made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. Working in partnership with other professionals within adult social care, the registered managers made sure that people had access to all of the support they needed. This included access to appointments or when extra help was needed if people’s circumstances changed. These arrangements which ensured positive outcomes for people, were confirmed by the professionals we spoke with. One said, “The Witham team have ensured adults have access to health and social care as required, this has included supporting vulnerable adults to health appointments.”

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. People were encouraged and supported to pursue activities and interests that made a difference to them. For example, attending the monthly day care centre, going out for walks or simply chatting and reminiscing about the past. The service had close links with a nearby residential home and when out for walks with staff they often popped in for a drink and meet some of the residents. Care plans provided staff with detail about people’s personal histories, former employment and family make up. Most people enjoyed chatting about these things and staff supported this during their care calls whilst tasks were completed.

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 offered the chance to discuss their future plans and wishes for their support. Some declined to discuss these matters but others provided instructions, often declaring a wish to remain at home for as long as possible. Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) and Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DNACPR) forms which detailed these advanced decisions were in place in most people’s care plans. Staff had received end of life training and were aware of the particular care and support that was important to people at this time.