Balmoral Rest Home

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 71 (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.

Processes were in place to assess people’s needs where possible prior to admission to the home. Although care plans, we reviewed included consideration of people’s physical, health, social and communication requirements, at times they did not fully reflect people’s needs. For example, strategies on how to respond to a person’s underlying health condition were not recorded. The registered manager reviewed and updated the care plans.

People told us they were involved in care planning. One person told us they were involved in their own care planning and had regular discussions about what they felt they needed and how staff could support them.

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.

Observations, and weight records indicated people’s nutrition and hydration needs were being met. Staff were able to tell us how they supported people with their eating and drinking and promoted choice in their dietary needs. Staff knew people’s dietary needs and who required dignified support at mealtimes. However, fluid records were incomplete lacking individual targets and totals. The registered manager agreed and had plans to update the documentation so records could be evidence based and support best practice.

People spoke positively on the quality and variety of food being served. One person told us, “I change my mind quite often and they rustle something different up for me.”

Any changes in people’s presentations were shared with the care staff and care adapted accordingly and communicated through daily discussions with the registered manager and carers. Records we looked at confirmed this.

The management team 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 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.

The registered manager was flexible in how they delivered person centred care. A person told us they managed their own health appointments and visited the surgery independently. We observed 1 person leave for a hospital appointment with staff support. We also witnessed the registered manager arrange for a nurse to visit the home that same day to review a person’s ongoing treatment. One person told us, when they had become unwell the staff looked after them and made sure they got the medical attention they needed.

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 received support to maintain their quality of life. The registered manager promoted positive risk taking, valuing people’s independence. One person told us, “I can make my own choices and if I need any help to understand they [staff] explained things to me.” We asked about their daily routine if it was of their choice, and they said, “My routine is the one I choose that suits me.”

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

The registered manager worked in partnership with people’s advocates and representatives in line with The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The provider made applications to the local authority if people were at risk of being deprived of their liberty.

Staff completed training in MCA and understood the concept of consent. We observed staff gain consent from people before completing any tasks. We saw that consent for care and treatment was obtained in people’s care plans and records.