Fernsby Brookes Limited

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 for this service. This key question has been rated 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 prior to the service starting to ensure these could be met safely. People and their relatives where appropriate had been involved in planning their care and reviews.

People’s care records were person centred. An assessment of their needs included for example, communication, health, mobility and emotional needs. People also had regular check-ups with health and social care professionals.

Feedback shared from a social care professional who worked closely with the service was, “My experience working with the service has been positive. The team respond promptly to my emails, and we’ve had many constructive discussions about [Person] ongoing care needs, which often result in frequent changes to the support they feel they need. Fernsby Brookes work hard to accommodate this, providing a stable routine supported by a small, familiar staff team.”

Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s needs and told us they were kept up to date about any changes. One staff member told us, “We get messages to alert us to any changes we need to be aware of, so we can read the care plan prior to the call."

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them.

The provider used recognised tools to assess and identify risks to providing people’s care and support, for example to assess the risk of skin damage.

The service worked closely with health and social care professionals to ensure they delivered care safely. Care records incorporated professional guidance for staff to follow to ensure people’s care was delivered as directed and in line with evidence-based practice.

Staff had received training related to people’s health conditions and prescribed treatments to ensure they could support the person safely, such as oxygen therapy.

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.

Relatives told us they were happy with the support provided to their loved ones. One relative told us, “I am super grateful to them they provide fantastic care to [Person]. I am able to continue in my professional career to some degree with their support, it’s a super company for complex needs provision.” Another relative said, “Staff are good at observing [Person] to understand her complex condition and providing consistent care to meet her complex needs. They always respond quickly and efficiently. They are accommodating and never faff about. I would recommend this service.”

Care records showed when people had booked healthcare appointments and if professionals had been contacted to discuss a person’s care and the outcome of these discussions. A social care professional who worked closely with the service told us, “They demonstrate a genuine commitment to the wellbeing of the individuals they support. Their communication is excellent; they keep me informed at every stage and reach out promptly whenever updates or actions are required."

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 and relatives were happy with the support received. One person told us, “Staff are responsive to all my care needs and encourage me to remain as independent as I’m able.”

People’s care records included information of their health conditions. Staff confirmed they had the information they needed to care for people effectively. One staff member said, “The care plan gives me all the information needed to help clients stay well.”

Feedback shared from a social care professional who worked closely with the service was, “Staff provide [Person] with emotional reassurance, encouragement and a consistent respect for their independence."

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.

Processes were in place to monitor the care and support people received. Where people had risks identified with their health, care records detailed outcomes and any monitoring required to ensure their needs were safely met. For example, in relation to skin integrity, mood and their mental wellbeing.

Where needed staff completed records to evidence the monitoring of for example, compliance with their prescribed medicines and any behavioural changes. This enabled staff to monitor people and identify if their needs were being met or when a change was needed to improve an outcome.

Feedback shared from a healthcare professional who worked closely with the service was, “Staff have provided [Person] with stability, reduced risks associated with their care, and they are now healthier physically and stable mentally."

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

People told us their choices were respected. Comments included, “Yes, they always listen to what I say, it works well,” and “I make my own choices, they always ask me.”

The management team and staff understood the importance of consent and assuming people had capacity to make decisions about their care and support under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

Staff confirmed they had received training about the requirements of the MCA and demonstrated an understanding of its principles. One staff member told us, “Consent is most important, we must always ask, communication is key."