Hedgerow Homecare

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 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 assessed people’s needs and choices. Managers met with people before they started providing care. They involved people and their relatives, asking them how they wanted to be cared for and supported. Managers regularly met with people to reassess their needs and adjust care plans. People told us they felt involved. Comments from people and their relatives included, “[The management team] were involved in initial assessments and discussed this with me” and “I feel we have been involved. The reviews are ongoing.”

The registered manager explained that feedback from staff had helped to develop people’s care plans. For example, staff had observed changes in the need of 1 person. They shared this with the managers who reassessed their needs and developed a more comprehensive package of care. As a result, risks to the person’s safety were reduced.

The provider ensured people received evidence-based care and treatment. Staff worked with external professionals to understand about providing care which aligned with good practice and legislation. This included undertaking specialist training when needed. For example, with interventions or tasks to meet a person’s needs. The registered manager told us they matched staff with additional skills and training to meet people’s individual needs.

Staff told us training had helped them understand and provide good quality care. Comments from staff included, “[Training] has allowed me to adapt my approach and implement tailored support strategies” and “Training has helped me recognise empathy, patience and understanding.”

The provider ensured people’s care plans included detailed information about meeting their needs. These included guidelines and key information about some aspects of people’s care or specific health conditions.

Staff worked well with each other, sharing information. Staff told us communication within the agency was good. They explained they had opportunities to discuss people’s needs, their work and any concerns with managers and each other. Staff took part in regular meetings with managers. Comments from staff included, “We communicate well through handovers, care notes, phone calls and messages” and “All the team is approachable, supportive and we work together.” People using the service and their relatives explained they thought staff communicated clearly with each other and this ensured they received consistent care and support.

Staff worked alongside external professionals to help provide holistic care. Comments from relatives included, “The district nurses visit us. The care workers work well with them” and “Our main care worker works around visits from the nurses.” The provider regularly communicated with doctors and other professionals when they wanted to discuss people’s needs or alert them to a change. The provider made referrals when they identified additional support was needed.

The provider supported people to live healthy lives. Most people had complex health conditions and staff worked closely with multidisciplinary teams to understand and meet these. Information about people’s health conditions and how these should be met was clearly set out in care plans.

The provider monitored and improved outcomes for people. Managers carried out regular reviews of people’s care. They worked closely with the person, their relatives, staff and other professionals to ensure assessments were up to date and people received the care and support they needed. People using the service and their relatives confirmed this and told us they were involved in reviews.

Staff kept a record of the care they provided and any changes in people’s needs or wellbeing. These records were shared with people, their relatives and others involved in their care. Managers monitored these records to ensure staff delivered planned care. Staff highlighted any concerns they had with managers so that these could be addressed.

People consented to their care and treatment. During the initial assessment of their needs, the registered manager assessed people’s mental capacity to make decisions. They consulted with the person and their representatives. When people were able to, they had signed an agreement to their care plans. For people who lacked the mental capacity to understand and decide about their care, the provider liaised with their legal representatives and relatives to make decisions in their best interests. People and their relatives told us they were asked for consent and were able to make decisions about their care.