The Dispensary

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 of this 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 79 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff at the service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.Staff told us there were effective systems in place to assess and monitor people’s needs. This included handover meetings between incoming and outgoing staff on shift and staff meetings.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. People received safe care because staff learned from safety alerts and incidents. Any incidents about people's safety were discussed with staff in a timely way, with action taken to mitigate further risks. A staff member told us, “We are encouraged to report and we discuss any incidents.”

Staff at the service worked well across teams and services to support people. Staff made timely referrals and worked well with other agencies to ensure people's treatment needs were met. A professional commented, “I have always found that when I need anything from the staff, they respond quickly and are knowledgeable and professional. They share any concerns or updates in a timely manner and actively participate in reviews to support the people who live there.”

Staff always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support. Records included specialist advice and guidance, that had been obtained where people had additional support needs, such as, from the occupational therapist, speech and language therapist or community nursing team. People told us they were supported to access health care. The provider promoted themes of the month in its services, and it included topics such as mental health and well-being, leg care, infection prevention. This was discussed with people at household meetings and on a 1-1 basis with their keyworker. There was also guidance and posters displayed around the service in an easy read format to increase people’s understanding of the subject.

Staff at the service monitored all people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they fully met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. Care plans were detailed, personalised and provided guidance to ensure outcomes could be met ensuring people received safe, consistent and effective support. There was a system of regular evaluation of risk assessments and people's care plans. Reviews were carried out regularly with people to ensure people's support and outcomes were monitored and in line with their wishes. A professional commented, “Staff actively participate in external reviews to support the people who live at The Dispensary.”

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. People received safe care because staff learned from safety alerts and incidents. Any incidents about people's safety were discussed with staff in a timely way, with action taken to mitigate further risks. A staff member told us, “We are encouraged to report and we discuss any incidents.”