Byrnhill Grove Registered Care Home

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.

The provider made sure people were at the centre of their care and choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. A quality monitoring audit completed in 2024 had identified a need to review care plans to ensure these were up to date and accurate. The manager told us required changes had now been made and that they were continuously reviewing care plans to ensure they were relevant for people and met best practise standards. When asked about care plans a person said, “I think they’ve got one in the office. I was involved.” A family member told us, “We were both involved.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. Care staff were consistent and said they had got to know people well and received a formal handover at the start of each shift. This was reflected by people and family members who confirmed staff understood their care needs. The manager confirmed staff were able to support people to attend medical appointments if they did not have a family member available and needed support. The management team and staff understood how to make referrals to health and social care professionals.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. Care records provided information about what people's communication requirements were and any additional equipment, such as hearing aids. People or family members were provided with written information about the service and how to complain should the need arise. The manager told us all information could be provided in alternative formats if required.

The provider encouraged people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care and support. Staff always involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. The nominated individual had identified a need to better support and encourage people to be actively involved in their care. They created a role for a person with lived experience of care to engage with and support people to be actively involved in decisions and plans for the service. Actions achieved included the addition of a beverage and snack area adjacent to the main lounge where people and visitors could make themselves hot of cold drinks. This had been identified by a person who wished to be able to independently make their own drinks safely and not rely on staff. People had also been fully involved in choosing refurbishment colour schemes, furniture, pictures and soft furnishings. The staff member told us how they were able to listen to and involve people and that the management team fully supported their ideas.

People and family members all said they felt able to raise issues with staff or the management team. Resident meetings and formal surveys were also undertaken. The cook described how they sought people’s views about menus and were able to amend these depending on people’s feedback and specific requests.

The provider had a complaints procedure in place with people and family members provided with information as to how to complain via the resident guide. There was a process to record and investigate concerns and complaints. One person said that if they had any complaints, “I would ask for [manager] and tell her my problem. I have no reason to believe she wouldn’t listen.” A family member said, “I’d complained to head office. I got a phone call back from Complaints and it was immediately sorted out.”

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. A person with lived experience of care had been employed and described how they were able to better identify and understand barriers to equity in access to services. This meant actions to reduce such barriers could be undertaken. Discussions with the management team showed they understood how to access specialist health or social care support should this be required. Healthcare partners were regularly involved in people’s care.

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. Care staff had undertaken equality and diversity training. Staff, people, external professionals and family members did not identify any concerns about discrimination. People and staff’s human rights were embraced.

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. Byrnhill Grove was able to provide end of life care when needed. Care plans included individual information about specific wishes people had. Notifications [which providers are required to send to the CQC following certain events in the service] showed external health professionals were contacted appropriately and action taken to provide suitable end of life care and symptom management. Staff knew about people’s wishes in respect of the level of emergency care (resuscitation) or hospital admission. This was documented in care plans and original copies of these decisions were maintained within an office which staff always had access to.