Lifeways Community Care (Taunton)

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 Requires Improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to Good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 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.

Since the last assessment, the provider had improved care plan reviews and governance oversight, helping ensure records remained current and reflective of people’s needs. Staff worked hard to ensure sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices. Our discussions with them provided ample examples of their commitment. Care plans, positive behaviour support plans and communication guidance were personalised and reflected people’s preferences, routines, communication styles and goals. Staff knew people well and professionals described support as entirely person-centred and responsive to concerns and risks.

Staff adapted support around individual needs and pacing, for example gradually supporting people to engage with community activities, healthcare appointments and changes in their environment. Relatives spoke positively about staff understanding people well and supporting them in ways that reflected their personalities and preferences.

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.

People had access to healthcare services when needed and outcomes from appointments were recorded and used to inform support. The service understood people’s health and care needs and worked with partners to provide joined-up care that supported continuity. For example, joint working to enable someone to receive health treatment.

Staff worked collaboratively with healthcare professionals, social workers, therapists and local authorities and shared information appropriately. Examples shared with us showed how hard staff worked to ensure people could access health services and be supported in a person-centred way during these health interventions.

Health professionals told us communication was clear, concerns were raised promptly and advice was followed. Records showed people were supported through planned transitions, including visits to new services, family involvement, shared risk information and joint meetings with new providers.

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

Since the last assessment, information sharing had improved and health and social care professionals generally described communication as timely, accurate and effective. Care plans, health records, risk assessments and positive behaviour support plans had been reviewed and improved to ensure they remained current and person-centred. Health and social care professionals consistently told us staff provided clear and accurate information and communicated concerns promptly.

Accessible information was available, including easy read materials and communication tools tailored to individual needs. Staff used visual aids, objects of reference and total communication approaches to help ensure people could participate in making choices and decision making.

The provider was improving how people shared feedback and ideas, or raised complaints about their care, treatment and support.

Relatives gave mixed feedback about involvement and communication. Some said they were kept informed and able to raise concerns, while others reported limited contact from managers, inconsistent updates about health concerns and management changes, and a lack of formal reviews. This happened in the context 1 location.

Further work was still needed to ensure communication with all relatives was consistently positive and that improvements were fully embedded across all locations. However, the provider recognised these issues and had identified learning around family involvement and feedback. Plans were in place to introduce smaller local forums and strengthen routine engagement with people and families.

People were often involved in day-to-day decisions, reviews, activities and care planning through communication methods tailored to their needs. Staff supported people to make choices about meals, activities, holidays, clothing and daily routines, and there was evidence of learning from complaints, concerns and family feedback.

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

The service always worked to ensure people could access the care, support, treatment and community opportunities they needed. People were supported to attend healthcare appointments, access specialist services and receive support from relevant professionals. Staff recognised deterioration in people’s health and sought advice promptly. At 1 location, people’s experience had been variable due to staff instability and the use of agency staff, but this had improved with regular agency staff and support from a new manager.

Staff adapted communication and support methods to remove barriers and enable participation. Health and social care professionals described proactive support around healthcare access, while relatives gave examples of people attending appointments, accessing hospital services and participating in activities meaningful to them.

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.

The service always sought to understand people’s individual experiences and adapted support to reduce barriers and improve outcomes. The service supported people with a learning disability and autistic people and worked in line with Right Support, Right Care and Right Culture principles. Our discussions with staff, feedback from relatives showed how some people had achieved improved confidence, greater independence and increased participation in community life.

Staff used personalised communication methods and records showed people were supported to achieve personal goals, increase independence, access their communities and improve wellbeing. Health and social care professionals described significant improvements in culture, governance and quality of support, particularly where management changes had been introduced. There was evidence staff adapted support for people with communication differences, behavioural needs, physical health conditions and mental health needs.

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.

The service supported people to plan for important life changes and transitions. Since the last assessment, planning arrangements had improved, and governance systems provided greater oversight of transition processes and outcomes. We saw evidence of detailed transition planning, including visits to new services, family involvement, information sharing and multi-agency working to support continuity and positive outcomes.

People’s aspirations, goals and future development were reflected within care planning and reviews. Staff supported people to build independence, develop life skills, access community opportunities and prepare for changes in living arrangements and support needs.

Records showed examples of people being supported through service moves, increased independence and changes in support arrangements. Professionals described careful planning and effective partnership working during transitions, and families were involved where appropriate.