Abbey Dean

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 told us they were involved in planning their care. One person said, “I get asked about what I need and want, they did this before I moved in and they check if anything has changed.” Another person said, “I have things the way I need them, I give them 5 stars for getting it right.” When speaking about person centred care a staff member said, “To me it means, placing importance on people’s wants needs and beliefs, and supporting them in a way that meets this.” Care and support plans were individualised containing people’s wants preferences and goals, which gave staff guidance to provide care tailored to each person. We observed staff supporting people in a manner reflecting their needs and preferences. For example, a person with limited mobility received support to walk short distances using a mobility aid at a pace that suited them whilst staff provided reassurance and input with balance.

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.

The registered manager worked collaboratively with other services when needed, ensuring people’s care was delivered consistently. For example, people were supported to have input from the district nurses and GPs. When a person needed to move to a specialist service the registered manager shared information with the new provider promoting a smooth transition for the person.

The service actively fostered community links to enhance people's well-being and social engagement. Partnerships with a local museum and library support people to share life stories and revisit memories. A volunteer programme enabled extra activities and community trips, while events like summer fêtes connected residents with local schools.

Staff supported people receiving end of life care by working closely with other professionals to prioritise people’s wishes. For example, just in case medication, used to promote people’s comfort if their symptoms change quickly, was in place, meaning people didn’t have to wait when they needed this.

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

The registered manager ensured documents and information was available to people in a format to suit them. For example, printing information in large font. The menu for food was available in picture format as well as text to support people to make choices. People received a newsletter containing updates about the service and past/upcoming activities.

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 had several channels to share their feedback including regular resident meetings and individual questionnaires. The registered manger gathered this feedback and provided people with outcomes communicated in the form of a ‘you said we did’ display. For example, people had asked for a roast to be on the weekly menu, feedback about emergency lighting being bright in bedrooms and suggestions about activities were all actioned and people expressed satisfaction with the outcomes. People were involved in decisions around the environment including communal areas. For example, when an area was redecorated the registered manager supported people to choose the wallpaper design by obtaining samples for people to choose from. A complaints policy was in place to support people to formally raise concerns, and the procedure was available to people in an accessible format. A person said, “I’ve never had to make a complaint, but I believe they would listen to me if I did.”

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

People had access to a call bell system to request support when needed which was individualised and adapted to each person’s specific needs. for example, a person with reduced dexterity had a larger call button reducing barriers to access and other people chose to use wearable call bells. One person said, “If I need help with something I use my bell and they come to see what I need.” The registered manager supported people to access other health professionals, including opticians and dentists by arranging visits in the home promoting people’s health and wellbeing.

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.

Information about people’s protected characteristics including disabilities and religious needs were contained in their care documents with guidance for staff to follow. For example, people who were visually impaired had their preferred communication methods detailed in their care plans supporting them to express their wants and wishes and gave staff the information they need to respond to changes in their health. Staff had received training in equality and diversity and understood how to promote this within the care environment. A staff member said, “Everyone deserves the be treated as an equal and be supported to have the care they want and need.” The provider utilised an application facilitating staff to access rotas, supervisions and training which meant they could cover open shifts in the home, stay up to date with training and promoted consistency of people’s care.

People were supported to stay in contact with their loved ones using devices to make and receive video calls. One person used a digital frame relatives updated with new pictures enabling the person to stay up to date with their relatives’ experiences.

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.

People were encouraged to plan for their future care needs and were supported to have their decisions recorded in documents including a Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment (ReSPECT) which outlines people’s preferences for medical care and treatments in an emergency providing staff and professionals with guidance to follow. Staff had received specific training around supporting people with end-of-life care and champions were in place who focused on improving people’s experience and outcomes. If people wished, their relatives had the option to stay at the home providing an opportunity to be close to their loved ones during the final stage of their life impacting significantly on people’s wellbeing and experience. People’s lives and experiences at the home were celebrated and captured in the form of memory books to inspire other people in the home.