Whitgift House

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment, the rating has remained 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 made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Care records showed people’s needs had been clearly identified and assessed. Records were detailed, person-centred and included people’s preferences, histories and desired outcomes. Care plans were regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changing needs and included guidance for staff on how to support people safely and effectively.

For example, care records outlined specific health conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy and nutritional requirements, with clear instructions for staff on management, monitoring and escalation. Staff understood people’s needs and were able to describe these in detail, demonstrating familiarity with the care records and processes in place. People’s experiences supported this, with one person stating, “They know what they are doing”.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards.

Care records demonstrated people’s needs had been clearly identified and assessed using a range of recognised tools, including risk assessments for nutrition, mobility, skin integrity, and mental capacity.

Staff received mandatory and specialist training relevant to people’s needs, including dementia, person centred care, learning difficulties, moving and handling and safeguarding. Training was delivered through a combination of e-learning and face-to-face sessions, with competency assessments in place to support safe practice.

Care plans reflected evidence-based approaches. For example, protocols were in place for managing seizures, diabetes, wound care and end of life care, with clear guidance for staff to follow.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people.

There was evidence of positive partnership working with external professionals, including GPs, healthcare professionals and specialist services. A health professional told us they worked closely with the service and described continuity of care as strong, stating staff knew residents and relatives well and were able to support care planning and decision-making.

A health care professional told us, “Staff are helpful and assist me at visit… I value staff opinion and observations which facilitates decision making”. Care plans were also developed collaboratively with specialist services, particularly for end-of-life care.

Internally, staff described effective communication systems such as handovers, team meetings and escalation processes. Staff felt able to raise concerns and said nurses listened to and acted on issues relating to people’s health and wellbeing

Communication relied heavily on verbal updates and staff reviewing electronic records, which increased the risk of essential information being missed. The manager had plans to introduce a formal daily meeting to reduce this risk.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

People had access to a range of healthcare services, including regular GP visits, specialist input and community services. Care plans reflected people’s health needs and included guidance on nutrition, hydration, mobility and long-term conditions.

People spoke positively about the impact of care on their health.

One relative told us “The doctor comes in on a Thursday, he is a lovely person, the respect is there. My [relative] has a chiropodist and her own hairdresser goes in. They (care staff) take her to hospital and … they have also seen a hearing person and an optician in there.” This demonstrated people had timely access to a range of healthcare professionals to meet their needs, and their health and wellbeing were actively supported.

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.

Auditing processes were in place, including regular care plan reviews. The provider completed detailed audits of care records and shared findings and actions with care staff, and at management meetings to support continual improvement.

Staff understood people’s health needs and recognised changes or deterioration and recorded information consistently. The manager had a plan in place to improve monthly monitoring of people’s care outcomes.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of Mental Capacity Act (2005) principles and described how they assumed capacity and completed assessments where concerns were identified. Where people lacked capacity, best interest processes were followed, and decisions were regularly reviewed to ensure they remained appropriate and least restrictive.

Care plans included prompts for staff to seek consent, offer choice and respect people’s preferences in daily care. Observations confirmed staff asked permission before providing care and supported people to make decisions about their routines. People’s experiences supported this approach. One person told us “I want them to look after me and meet every need and they do”.