The Dispensary

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 service met people’s needs.

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

Staff were exceptional at making 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. The ethos of the organisation promoted an exceptionally strong person-centred culture where people were at the heart of the service and staff were committed to ensuring they received the very best possible support in an exceptionally caring and nurturing environment. Staff were extremely proud of their caring approach towards people and believed strongly in the values of the service. There were several examples of where staff had gone 'the extra mile' to provide exceptionally caring and compassionate support, where staff had worked closely with people and other professionals to achieve goals and improve people’s well-being and quality of life, whatever the level of need. Staff thought flexibly to meet people’s aspirations around independence whilst managing their potential anxieties. Examples of new experiences for people included, relationships, going bowling, going for a pint, going to the circus, feeding a horse, getting used to dogs. making the tea, playing pool, going fishing, a day at the races, making pancakes, arts and crafts and mental health days and going to a football match.

Staff at the service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. Information was available and shared between services as needed to ensure people's care and treatment needs could be assessed and met. People’s care records showed how people’s care was planned and delivered with continuity, inclusion and a holistic approach to people’s needs. This included, for example, how people were supported to move into the service, or as they moved to more independent living or attended college. There was very strong communication and liaison with other agencies involved in providing support to a person, to ensure there was joined up and seamless care. A professional commented, “Staff are really responsive and will get back to me with any queries.They follow up on requests and any actions that are requested.” Communication books were also used with some relatives so they were kept informed, if the person visited home.

The provider was exceptional at developing appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People had different communication methods and some needed intensive support to help them understand their day to day lives and how they would be spending their time. This included using symbols, pictures and social stories to help support them with this. Staff had fully understood and supported this, producing detailed timetables for people using symbols and pictures and sometimes photographs of the person taking part in the activity themselves. This had enabled people to understand what was happening throughout the day and feel prepared and in control of what was happening.

The management and staff team had developed detailed communication care plans including about how people liked to spend their time. These used pictures to detail how best to support people in these areas. There was detailed guidance for staff to support people and also in how they were used to support discussions and understanding with people about how they were being supported.

Around the service there were easy-read accessible documents and pictures. In the kitchen there was a meal planner that were easily accessible to people at all times to help them make choices about what to eat. People had easy read social story books that detailed people’s preferences and routines. Staff used these to engage people in discussion about what they had done and to help find out what people enjoyed.

The provider was exceptional at enabling people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff always involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. People were encouraged and supported to get involved in the running of the service. They selected their menus, leisure activities and their keyworker to support them. People had attended health and safety training. They were involved in carrying out household safety and security checks with staff. Every effort was made to ensure people were supported to express their views so that staff understood their preferences, wishes and choices. This included where people may not communicate well verbally. People were offered choices and were listened to. Regular meetings took place with people and their representative to discuss their care and support needs which also included discussion about their future plans and aspirations. Relatives were also involved in discussions about their family members care plans and risk assessments. A relative said, ‘‘I attend meetings to discuss how [Name] is doing.”

Staff were exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People's care records showed they had access to care and support, and referrals were made for treatment promptly. Care records included information around people's sensory and communication needs. Staff advocated for people or secured advocates for them to ensure they received the treatment they needed. There were several occasions where staff worked with people to lessen their anxiety. Through careful preparation and staff intervention with other agencies, people were supported to undergo health procedures at hospital and at the dentist. For example, a person was prepared by staff, through social stories, for some time before visiting hospital, so they would be less anxious, as previously visits to hospital either did not take place or caused a lot of anxiety to the person. The preparation was successful, and the person was then able to visit hospital to undergo a hospital appointment and subsequent procedure. Another person had struggled to enter the dentist. Staff arranged for the dental nurse to come to the service vehicle to complete the appointment. This reassured the person, and they now attend regular appointments with no concerns.

An on-call system was in place to provide advice and support to people and staff if needed.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Care plans were exceptionally detailed with a consistently high degree of personalisation and provided staff with an excellent guide to understanding each person. People received their care and support from a service which was entirely flexible and able to respond to individual requests and changes. Care plans included information around people’s identity, things which were important to them, their wishes and relationships they wanted to maintain.

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. Care plans that were in place contained people’s plans for the future. Information was available about people's religion and cultural preferences if this support was required.