Tenby 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 were effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

We asked some relatives if they were involved in any assessment before their family member moved into the home. One relative said, “Oh yes, we came to see the home. They seemed friendly and helpful.” The registered manager said, “Phased visits are arranged to help people settle in if we feel there is a need to do that. Families are welcome to come in beforehand and prepare the rooms for people. We also carry out electrical testing for any appliances people bring with them.”

People and their relatives continued to be involved in reviewing people’s care through regular meetings with staff and access to care plans, especially when people’s care and support needs changed.

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.

Various assessment and monitoring tools were used to support staff to meet people’s identified needs. For example, the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) identifies people’s risk of malnourishment or issues with their weight. People’s risk of developing pressure areas was assessed. Risks were regularly reviewed and monitored, with staff able to access up-to-date care plans on electronic hand-held devices to support safe and consistent care.

A healthcare professional who had visited the home told us, “Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the client’s needs, including his preferences, likes and dislikes. Care plans were reviewed and found to accurately reflect the client’s care and support requirements.”

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 provider worked well with a range of health and social care professionals, including district nurses, speech and language therapists and GPs, to support people’s needs. There was a designated staff member responsible for liaising with external professionals, which helped ensure information was shared and people received timely access to specialist advice and support. This supported co-ordinated care and helped ensure people’s needs were understood across services.

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.

We asked people and their relatives if they received support from healthcare professionals, including attending any appointments. One person said, “I’m going to the hospital. Someone’s driving me.” Another person required fortnightly blood tests and a member of staff always accompanied them. The local surgery organised weekly telephone calls or visited in person.

People gave positive feedback about the food at Tenby House. One person said, “It’s very good. It’s fresh and enjoyable and there’s enough to go around. I just eat it because I like it.” The cook was knowledgeable about people’s dietary needs, likes and dislikes. Menus were planned over a 4-week cycle. Where people required a modified diet, the advice and guidance from a speech and language therapist was on display in the kitchen. This meant people’s specialist dietary needs were catered for safely.

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.

The home strived to achieve good outcomes through the care and support people received. For example, a special chair had been ordered for 1 person to help with postural support. People and their families were asked for their feedback about the home, and a survey had recently been sent out. Seven responses had been received, and all gave positive feedback.

A healthcare professional told us that staff were working proactively with 1 person’s next of kin to support access to the community. This included arrangements for the person to have their own wheelchair.

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

We observed staff routinely asked people for their consent before any kind of intervention was undertaken. A relative told us, “If she wants to spend a day in bed, she does, and as soon as she does get up, the bed’s made. She can sit here or in the dining room or the lounges. People can do what they like, that’s good, they should have freedom.” One person became upset when they thought they had not taken their inhaler, so staff asked them to sign a sheet when they received this medicine. This had helped alleviate their anxiety when they thought they had not been given it.

Staff completed training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and demonstrated their understanding of this legislation with regard to consent. A staff member told us, “I try and explain things gently to people, give them choices and tell them the possible outcomes depending on what they choose.”