Newmarket House

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

This means we looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to outstanding.

This meant services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.

We have not awarded this service a score for Responsive.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Responsive.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was 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.

Summarise your findings here using the topics below:

Staff within the service based patient care around individual needs and preferences. Due to an identified need, and the identified link between autism/ ADHD and eating disorders, several staff members had been trained to carry out autism and ADHD assessments with patients. The assessments were carried out over a prolonged period to ensure they were holistic, accurate and thorough.

Occupational therapy staff carried out a daily sensory diet assessment, A sensory diet assessment identifies an individual's specific sensory needs (like touch, movement, sound) to create a personalized plan of sensory "snacks" and activities throughout the day, helping patients to stay regulated, focused, and calm. This was created using tools like the SPM-2. The SPM-2 (Sensory Processing Measure) is a comprehensive, standardized assessment tool used by therapists to evaluate sensory integration and processing difficulties, staff also used observation and diaries.

Staff empowered patients to make their own decisions about their care and treatment. All treatment was patient led and patients were not rushed to complete any stages of their treatment.

The provider prioritised person-centred care by implementing tailored interventions for neurodiverse patients. This included the development of personalised sensory diets with scheduled timings, designed to facilitate emotional regulation and maintain a calm environment. Each plan consisted of specific sensory activities precisely matched to each patients unique sensory processing needs.

The service facilitated identity exploration posters, a patient-led initiative supported by staff to promote self-reflection. These posters served as a person-centred tool to capture each individual’s identity, personal preferences, and self-descriptors, providing staff with unique insights into the patient's character and history.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service had an exceptional understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Summarise your findings here using the topics below:

During occupational therapy sessions, patients were supported with their education and employment status for example, by supporting them to communicate with workplaces or universities, to defer for a year, to organise sick leave, or to organise a return to

work/university at the end of their admission. Staff also supported patients to seek new volunteering, employment or education opportunities. Patients could access support with CV development or job/university applications. Staff supported patients using a future planning workbook as a resource to support patients with productivity occupation exploration.

Staff supported patients to maintain contact with their families and carers. Family and friend visits were encouraged and there was a dedicated space in a garden room for visits to take place. With prior agreement, the service was happy for pets to visit with family members to aid and support patients’ recovery.

Staff supported patients to access their chosen place of worship within the community.

Where appropriate, patients were supported to access the local community, whether this was for a staff supported social eating task such as snack or lunch out, or for social and leisure opportunities. When possible, group trips were organised to the cinema, theatre, beach and the local cat café

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service were exceptional at developing appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Staff made notifications to external bodies as needed, including the local authority safeguarding team and the Care Quality Commission.

Information governance systems included confidentiality of patient records.

The service complied with the Accessible Information Standard.

Staff ensured that patients could obtain information on treatments, local services, patients’ rights, how to complain and so on. Patients received a welcome booklet, detailing all information needed for treatment. Families also received a welcome pack.

The information provided was in a form accessible to the particular patient group.

The service had a dedicated carer and family lead, who worked closely with family members from the point of admission, until discharge and beyond. Support for family members was tailored to suit the needs of the family and included a booklet detailing treatment, family assessments, workshops and support groups, such as understanding eating disorders and body image, home leave and discharge planning support. The carer and family lead was a qualified Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) practitioner. An EFFT practitioner is a certified therapist who uses Emotion-Focused Family Therapy to help families and caregivers support a loved one with mental health issues. This approach views caregivers as a primary and powerful resource in the healing process by equipping them with specific emotion-coaching and relationship skills.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional at enabling people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They always involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

The service received no complaints in the 12 months leading up to inspection. Patients knew how to complain or raise concerns. Family members also confirmed they knew how to raise concerns with the service. Details of how to complain or raise concerns were located within the carer handbook.

Patients could feedback about any concerns or recommendations during community meetings; we reviewed minutes from these meetings and saw that the provider was proactive in addressing and concerns or queries that were raised by patients.

We reviewed compliments from patients and family members. The compliments received by the service were overwhelmingly positive, and included gifts received for the impact that staff and the service had on a patient’s life, and the level of support that was given.

Patients regularly wrote to and emailed the service with positive updates on how they were doing following discharge, with many saying that the service had changed their lives for the better.

Weekly community meetings provided a consistent forum for patient engagement. A review of minutes from the past three months evidenced responsive feedback. Where patient requests could not be met directly, staff facilitated collaborative discussions to identify suitable alternatives. Outcomes from these meetings included the introduction of visiting hairdressing services, guinea pig therapy sessions, and purchasing specific art supplies tailored to patient interests.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. The service was exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff ensured the needs of patients with mobility issues were met – for example, wheelchair users were placed in bedrooms at ground level. Reasonable adjustments could be made when required.

There was adequate medical cover day and night, a doctor could attend the ward quickly in an emergency and the hospital was within a reasonable travelling distance to the local acute hospital.

Staff ensured patients had access to post-discharge care – staff provided every patient with a comprehensive discharge pack, which included a dedicated key contacts sheet for ongoing support and a confirmed schedule of pre-booked follow-up appointments. Staff planned for patients’ discharge, including good liaison with care managers/co-ordinators.

Staff completed a personalised meal plan and recipe book with patients prior to discharge, which included a shopping list, meals, snacks and personalised recipes, which were created with support from a dietitian.

Discharge was never delayed for other than clinical reasons; the average length of stay was 126 days.

We scored the service as 3. The evidence showed a good standard. 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.

Staff within the service and the wider organisation promoted a culture in which the people using the service felt empowered to give their views. Feedback from patients and carers was very positive. Patients told us staff treated people with respect and without discrimination.

Staff were trained in equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights.

The service had clear policies aligned with equality, diversity, and inclusion principles to prevent disadvantage and promote fairness for all, including those with protected characteristics. Overall, 100% of staff had completed mandatory training in diversity and inclusion.

Although there was limited diversity within the patient group, staff remained aware of individual needs and made reasonable adjustments where necessary, such as providing accessible information when needed. Staff worked proactively to ensure care was equitable and responsive.

We scored the service as 4. The evidence showed an exceptional standard. People were given exceptional support to plan for important life changes, so they could make informed decisions about their future.

Discharge planning began at admission, with support needs and future goals discussed collaboratively. A review of 5 electronic records showed comprehensive recovery and relapse prevention plans. Staff provided holistic, individualised support to ensure smooth transitions, assisting patients with housing, leisure activities, and employment or education goals. Staff provided essential post-discharge information and resources to patients and their families.

Staff developed personalised care plans that included each patient’s specific needs, preferences, and emotional wellbeing. Care and treatment planning involved a multidisciplinary approach, with all relevant healthcare professionals and external agencies being involved.

For patients returning home, staff engaged with families to ensure a supportive environment. Feedback from patients consistently highlighted that staff-led future planning and continuous support were instrumental in their successful recovery journey. This included robust discharge planning and ongoing support post discharge. Care and treatment planning involved a multidisciplinary approach, with all relevant healthcare professionals and external agencies being involved. For example, ensuring external appointments were booked and confirmed prior to discharge with community teams and a personalised discharge plan for each patient.

Staff consistently empowered patients to make informed decisions regarding their care, treatment, and future goals. This was reinforced through regular check-ins and individualised 1:1 sessions, therapy and group work. Staff demonstrated high levels of responsiveness, dedicating time to address challenges during difficult periods. The team included specialists equipped to provide both emotional support and practical assistance to patients and their families.