Hedgerow Homecare

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 service. This key question has been rated good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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.

People received person-centred care which met their needs and reflected their preferences. People and their relatives explained they were involved in planning and reviewing care. They explained the agency was responsive when they wanted or needed changes. Comments from people and their relatives included, “If we have to change anything, we can just phone them” and “We are happy with the care. If can discuss this with [managers].”

The provider had developed comprehensive care plans which outlined the tasks staff needed to complete and how to care for people safely.

Staff explained they supported people with different aspects of their lives, according to their needs and preferences. For example, in addition to support with personal care needs, they helped some people with daily living skills and supported others to pursue hobbies.

People received continuity of care. They were supported by the same regular care workers. Staff worked in collaboration with external health and social care professionals when needed. They shared information with others, when needed, to ensure people received continuity of care.

The registered manager explained that, due to the complex healthcare needs of many people they supported, they were in regular contact with a team of external professionals. Staff were prompt at alerting others to changes in people’s needs. This joined up approach ensured people received the right care and support.

The provider had an emergency on-call system where people using the service, staff or others could ring a manager at any time for advice or support. The provider had contingency plans to help ensure people’s care would not be impacted in different emergency scenarios.

The agency ensured people had the information they needed. People and their relatives were able to access care plans, care records and medicines administration records on an electronic application. Relatives told us this was useful and they felt well informed and involved. Their comments included, “We can see the daily report in [the care plan electronic application]” and “Communication is very good. We can access the care records, and the provider messages us with updates.”

People were given copies of their care plans and key information about the service, including how to make a complaint. These were available in different formats including large print and braille for people who needed these.

The provider assessed people’s communication needs. They included information about these in people’s care plans. Staff used a range of different techniques to make sure they communicated clearly with people to be understood and to understand them. For example, staff used a white board to communicate with 1 person who found this enhanced communication and helped them to understand what was happening each day.

The provider listened to and involved people. People and their relatives were involved in planning and reviewing their own care. They explained they could request changes when needed. A person explained, “If I ever need something, I just call the office. They are very responsive.”

The provider carried out regular monitoring checks by visiting and telephoning people using the service. These checks ensured people could share their views on the service and the care they received. The provider acted on feedback, making changes when people requested this. People, relatives and staff were asked to complete surveys about their experiences. These helped the provider to review and develop the service.

There was a suitable complaints procedure. People knew how to make a complaint. People who had raised concerns told us these had been dealt with to their satisfaction. The provider checked back with people after complaints to make sure they were happy with the outcome.

The provider ensured equity in access. Staff supported people to access the services they needed. For example, attending medical appointments and being out and about in the community when this was part of their planned care. The registered manager explained they had supported some people to research and access new services which they had not previously been aware of. They told us during the initial assessments of people’s needs they discussed hobbies and interests. With this knowledge, they had helped 1 person to access a specialist exercise group for people with the same health condition. This had become a regular part of the person’s care and had improved the person’s physical and mental wellbeing.

The provider ensured equity in experiences and outcomes. The registered manager assessed and planned for people’s diverse needs. They made sure barriers to providing care were identified and mitigated. Staff liaised with people and their relatives to make sure they felt their needs were being met. Staff undertook training to understand about equality and diversity.

The provider supported people to plan for the future. The provider specialised in providing services to people with complex healthcare needs and at the end of their lives. They worked closely with external professionals and palliative care teams to ensure people received the right support. Staff undertook training to understand about best practice when caring for people at the end of their lives. Managers worked with people and their relatives to develop person-centred care plans which described people’s needs and preferences for care during this time. Staff were responsive when people’s health declined and shared information with others to help make sure people’s treatment reflected their changing needs. The provider received positive feedback from the relatives of people after they had died, complementing staff on their kindness, compassion and support for the person and the whole family during the end of their lives.

Some people wanted to remain independent. Staff supported them to plan personalised objectives and work towards these. A staff member explained, “The best thing [about working for the agency] is supporting people to achieve their goals, maintain independence, and improve their quality of life.”