Inspire Lives Care Services Ltd

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 of this service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed.

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’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People’s needs were thoroughly assessed prior to care being delivered. People and relatives told us their care was updated and reviewed regularly and the registered manager communicated with them frequently throughout their care journey. One relative said, “We were involved in [family member] initial assessment.” Another said, “The manager came to the house and talked to us about the care including potential trip hazards so we could move things to make the house safe.”

Staff said care plans were thorough and were reflective of people’s needs and wishes. Staff were able to continually access care plans via their hand held devices.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. People and relatives told us they were fully involved in how their care was arranged and delivered. Their views were sought to ensure treatment was in line with their wishes and they told us staff provided good quality care.

Care was delivered in line with current evidence-based good practice and standards. For example, staff received training from health care professionals to manage people’s specific health conditions, such as those associated with specialist nutrition and hydration intake to deliver safe care. Once staff were deemed competent to undertake these roles their practice was monitored and overseen by the registered manager, who was a qualified nurse. Health professionals confirmed the registered manager and staff adhered to good practice.

A number of people were unable to take their food orally. We received no concerns on how staff supported people with conditions such as dysphagia [the medical term for people who have health conditions that cause difficulties with swallowing]. One person said, “Although I manage my own dysphagia and eat small meals slowly the carers know what to do if I start to cough.”

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services.

The registered manager and staff knew people well, including their life history and experiences and what and who was important to them. Staff shared relevant information and worked in partnership with families and external health and social care professionals. A number of health professionals we spoke with praised the service on their professionalism and approach to partnership working.

Managers led by example and supported the care team effectively. One care worker said, “The manager is supportive and ‘on hand’ for any problems that come up.”

Staff supported each other well, working flexibly between them. Staff told us they worked within a consistent team. One care worker said, “The service and staff are very flexible. We make changes to rotas to support each other where needed.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. One relative said, “[Name] has their own care routine, so they tell the carers what they want and they always do it.”

Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support. One relative said, “[Name’s] carer supports them to walk with their frame. They lean to the left, so the carer make sure they are stable when walking. It’s so important to keep them moving so they are up and about as much as possible.”

Staff understood people’s needs well and provided support in a proactive and personalised way to manage and monitor their health and well-being. This helped people maintain healthier lifestyles, stay connected with those important to them and remain as independent as possible.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

People and relatives told us their care arrangements were monitored and reviewed consistently, and they were involved and consulted. A structured review process was in place from when care was initially delivered and throughout people’s care journey. A review of 3 people’s care records confirmed this. Reviews were also undertaken when people’s needs changed between scheduled reviews. The effectiveness of this process was tested in the most recent survey. Every respondent said they, and their families where appropriate, had full involvement in their care planning.

Staff said the care plans held within portable devices continually reflected people’s needs and were updated promptly and accordingly following any change. One said, “Plans are updated when people’s needs changed. I also have responsibility to make sure I record any changes so other staff can see this and management is alerted promptly.”

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. People’s consent to care was consistently sought and respected. One relative said, “The carers come in and say, ‘So what are we doing today then [Name]?’ They don’t just come in and tell them what they are doing; they ask them.”

Staff we spoke with were able to clearly describe how they gained consent from people and understood the importance of this They explained how they asked for people’s permission before providing support, how they responded if someone refused care, and when they would escalate concerns to senior staff. One staff member said, “We always seek consent from people before delivering care. If people are unable to give informed consent, we follow the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and decisions about people’s care need to be made in people's best interests.”

Documentation relating to consent followed good practice. We saw evidence initial assessments and care plans were signed and consented to. For people who might not have the mental capacity to consent to their care plan, mental capacity assessments were undertaken. These assessments were detailed and decision specific and people and those acting or advocating for them were involved. This meant the provider was applying the principles of the MCA.