Sycamore Grove Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This service is dual registered, this is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People received care that was responsive to their individual needs and preferences. Care documentation was personalised, reflecting people’s choices, routines, and life histories, and were regularly reviewed to ensure they remained up to date. Relatives told us they felt staff knew their loved one well. Comments included, “As a family we were made very welcome and I in particular have become very close to the staff, they are all so caring and kind to both [relatives name] and myself” and “Sycamore is all about the resident and their family.”

People were supported to make choices about their day-to-day care, and staff described how they adapted their approach to meet individual needs. For example, people were supported to get up and go to bed at their own preferred time and choose where to eat their meals and how they spent their day.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Pre admission assessments were completed to review people’s needs and assess suitability before they moved into the home. The registered manager told us, “We look at our team and what we can safely provide for people, we are very clear on what our skills are and before we admit anyone new, we consider the residents here and any impact this may cause.”

People’s care records identified where timely referrals had taken place and demonstrated effective coordination with health and social care services. Staff and management described how they supported people through key transitions, including hospital admissions and discharges. Relatives confirmed that they felt supported when people were required to move to a nursing home due to an increase in their needs. One told us, “When the manager spoke to me regarding my relative needing nursing care, they were compassionate and very sorry and did not want to put me under pressure. They gave no time limit and offered help if I needed it.”

We observed staff working collaboratively with relevant professionals to ensure people received consistent and appropriate care, supporting positive outcomes and continuity for people.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

On admission people and their families were provided with information about the home, this included details on Sycamore Grove and links with the local community, regular newsletters, details of meetings and social media.

Accessible information was provided to help people understand their rights, including how to make a complaint or contact external agencies if they were unhappy with their care. This included information regarding advocacy services available for people.

People appeared happy, comfortable, and well cared for. We saw staff adapting care to meet people’s individual circumstances, including supporting people with limited communication by recognising body language and other non-verbal cues.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People knew how to raise concerns or make a complaint, and the provider had a complaints procedure in place. People told us they would be comfortable raising any issues with staff or the registered manager and felt confident these would be listened to and addressed.

There were a number of channels for people, relatives and staff to share views and provide feedback. This included care reviews, staff, resident and relative meetings and resident of the day, where all aspects of a person’s care and support where reviewed and discussed with the person or relatives as appropriate. Relatives, resident and staff annual surveys were also completed.

A suggestion box was available for anyone who wished to submit a comment or query, this could be anonymous if preferred. Sycamore Grove also had 2 resident ambassadors. ‘You said, we did’ information was displayed in the main reception area. This included comments and queries from people and how these had been followed up. One was regarding arranging a meeting to discuss menus and another about addressing weeds in the garden. Actions were recorded to show how these comments had been responded to, these included meetings to discuss meals, a maintenance meeting which was held and garden work which we saw was being completed during the inspection.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

People had access to health services when they needed them. The provider had a good relationship with the local GP and community health specialists, who visited the home. Staff acted promptly to get people the help they needed and completed referrals when required.

People’s care plans recorded reasonable adjustments people may need to ensure their care and support needs were met. This included aspects like communication barriers and mobility issues, including equipment they needed. People had specialised equipment prescribed by occupational therapists to enable them to have equal opportunities as other people living in the service, these included walking aids and equipment to assist people with standing.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff had undertaken, equality and diversity training to enable them to identify any forms of discrimination. Staff described how they aimed to deliver care respectfully and inclusively, and policies were in place to support equality and diversity.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

End of life care wishes were recorded in care plans. Do not attempt resuscitation (DNACPR) and Recommended Summary Plans for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) forms were in place detailing people’s wishes and choices, these had been discussed with the person and any family involved in significant discussions about treatment and future care. This helped ensure people’s wishes were respected and care remained consistent during times of change.

The home had a named palliative care champion to support people and families when needed.