Altogether Care - Care At Home Limited Beaminster

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 newly registered 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.

Assessments were detailed and considered people’s health, risks, preferences and support needs. People were involved in planning their care from the outset and remained involved through regular reviews, helping to ensure support continued to meet their needs and achieve positive outcomes.

The provider worked effectively with health and social care professionals, including GPs, care coordinators and local authority teams, to assess and review people’s needs. Care plans were regularly updated to reflect changes in people’s circumstances, health and preferences, ensuring care remained personalised and responsive.

The provider also provided flexible support, including helping people return home safely following a hospital stay. Staff knew people well and used up-to-date electronic care records to deliver care that reflected individuals’ current needs and wishes.
 

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.

People were involved in creating their care plans and assessments; they were at the centre of all support provided by the service. They worked to develop evidence-based good practice and standards. The provider worked extremely well with external professionals. One professional told us, “One client in particular I feel sure that without the flexibility of the Altogether team in the first instance and after being discharged from hospital, [person] would not have been able to stay in their own home and live independently. We problem solved [persons] care. . . [person] has built a good rapport with the carers, and this has allowed [person] to live well.”

Staff used the electronic recording system when attending care visits and completed comprehensive notes which included required tasks as set in people’s care plans. The system alerted the office if any tasks were not completed, enabling timely oversight and follow-up. Records showed people were supported with food and drinks in line with their preferences and dietary needs. Daily notes were detailed and informative.
 

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.

People felt their information was shared appropriately, for example with the GP or community nurse. Staff described good teamwork within the service and kept detailed records of their care and support visits; these were shared when needed. The manager had oversight of records and could access details of care as required, to share them with external professionals.

Professionals provided positive feedback about communication with the service and described the management team as responsive and collaborative. A health and social care professional told us, “Communication is clear and timely, supporting safe transitions between services. They are responsive to feedback and work collaboratively to resolve issues as they arise.”
 

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 were supported to access healthcare services and attend appointments, with staff arranging and attending these where required. A person told us, “Staff are helpful, sympathetic and understanding. One has even taken samples to the local GP surgery.” Professionals provided positive feedback about the provider’s responsiveness and proactive approach to meeting people’s health needs.

Some people were able to arrange their own healthcare appointments, and this independence was respected and supported.
 

Staff supported people to maintain healthy lifestyles. This included support with preparing meals, encouraging hydration and promoting physical activity such as attending the gym or engaging in community activities. When giving examples a staff member told us, “We support people to attend a place of worship and other community-based activities, we make healthy dietary suggestions ensuring dietary requirements are promoted and respected such as Halal or vegetarianism. We also will help people to engage with their family members such as helping them with phone calls and visits.”

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.

Staff demonstrated an awareness of their responsibility to monitor people’s wellbeing and report any changes. They told us they would escalate concerns to the registered manager and were confident appropriate action would be taken. An electronic care planning system was used to allocate staff to care visits, and update care records which allowed for effective monitoring of the care provided. Records confirmed staff monitored people’s care and treatment. For example, staff recorded people’s fluid and nutrition intake when required. There was evidence that changes in people’s needs were responded to in a timely way. For example, where a person’s physical needs had increased, additional support and funding were arranged to ensure their needs continued to be met.

The provider worked with external professionals to support outcomes for people, including monitoring health conditions and responding to changes in wellbeing. Where needed, a member of the management team would make referrals to health care professionals.
 

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

Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and their need to assume people had capacity to make their own decisions, and that consent should be sought prior to carrying out care. A staff member said, “I would always assume the person has capacity unless assessed otherwise, I will support them to make their own decisions as much as possible and communicate clearly in a way they can understand that will not leave any doubts on the care we provide. If personal care is needed and the person lacks capacity to consent, I would ensure any care provided is in their best interests, and maintain their dignity, privacy and wellbeing. Moreover, I would consult with senior colleagues, office staff or health care professionals to advocate where appropriate and document all the decisions and actions taken.”

Records showed when a person might lack capacity to make specific decisions, assessments had been carried out in line with legislation. Best-interest decisions involved the person, their representatives, and relevant professionals. Feedback we received confirmed good practice, with people feeling included in decisions about their care. When asked, people confirmed consent was always sort.