St George's Nursing Home (Oldham)

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 as 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.
People’s needs were assessed by management and lead nurses before admission to ensure the service could meet their needs and to identify the most appropriate unit. Upon admission, information was gathered from the individual and their relatives. The “All About Me” section was completed, and where individuals were unable to respond, this was noted and relatives provided the information. Relatives were invited to care plan reviews, and paper copies of care plans were available on request. One family member shared, “I saw his care plan when he moved in. All his background information has been included in the care plan. I’m always involved in medicine reviews and things like that.”
There was effective monitoring of people’s health, including weight loss or gain. Actions to be taken were identified and discussed at monthly meetings with the provider and management team.
 

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.
The provider and management team stayed informed of national standards and best practise by attending CQC forums and accessing relevant training and information platforms.
We saw evidence of referrals to relevant services such as Speech and Language Therapy (SALT), the continence team and the mental health team. People were supported to eat and drink according to their dietary needs. We observed one member of staff encouraging a person on a pureed diet to eat in a very supportive and caring manner.
 

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 service worked well with other services, accessing support and advice where appropriate. Referrals were discussed at lead nurse meetings, with oversight from the management team.
. A mental health nurse told us, “One [person] in particular had a significant risk history in terms of harming himself. Nursing staff on [name] unit worked closely with me and his family to ensure that he settled well into the unit and that an appropriate plan of care was in place that addressed the risks that may have been presented and retained a focus on maintaining the safety of the service user and his family.”
 

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’s day to day health and wellbeing needs were met and people were supported to be as independent as possible. People had their weight monitored and any unexpected weight loss was addressed with the nurse on the unit. The menu was reviewed frequently to reflect the changes in people’s taste and ensure the nutritional value of the food.

The provider employed two activities staff who planned and delivered a range of activities including art therapy and a themed session looking at different areas of nature, providing sensory benefits and promoting physical and mental wellbeing.
 

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’s care and treatment was monitored closely by the nurses on each unit. The provider conducted monthly analysis of several areas including physical interventions due to aggressive behaviour, weight and infections. They took appropriate action when necessary.
Although care plans did not always include detailed information about individuals’ interests or goals, the consistency of the staff team ensured that these were well understood and reflected in day-to-day support. For example, one person who previously enjoyed playing the guitar was being supported to have it restrung, enabling them to play whenever they wished. With input from the music therapy team, they were also being encouraged to further develop their skills.
 

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.
Staff received training in Deprivation of Liberty (DoLs) and the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and people’s rights and decisions were respected. Care plans contained detailed information about capacity and where someone had been deemed to lack capacity the relevant assessment and best interest decisions were made and documented.
Staff understood about asking for consent. One person who lived at the home said,” They always ask for my permission, for example, when they give me my meds.”
Management told us that they were generally informed about a person’s capacity before admission but if further restrictions were needed a DoLS would be applied for. Care plans clearly documented review dates and documentation was up to date.