Home Instead Leigh

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 since the office location changed and the service was re-registered. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People and relatives confirmed they were involved in the assessment process. Comments included, “Yes, they completed an assessment. It went really well. [Staff member] came and spent a long time speaking to mum, asking her what she likes etc” and “2 ladies came to see me. I am quite particular, but I felt they understood me and what I wanted.”

Detailed assessments had been completed prior to people commencing care. These covered a range of areas including mobility, nutrition and hydration, personal hygiene, medication, decision making and memory. Where any specific needs had been identified, risk assessments had been completed, to ensure these needs could be safely met.

Follow up calls and meetings were completed once the service had commenced to ensure people were happy and that what had been discussed at assessment remained relevant.

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. This included ensuring people’s nutrition and hydration needs were met.

People were involved in planning their care and support. Care plans we viewed reflected people’s choices and preferences, as disclosed during assessment.

Where necessary, people received support with nutrition and hydration in line with their needs and wishes. The provider told us, “A few families will leave food out, some we batch cook for. We always give people a choice.”

Records were kept of people’s intake which were reviewed by the provider to ensure people were eating and drinking enough and receiving a balanced diet. People told us they were happy with the support provided and confirmed they chose what they wanted to eat and drink. One person told us, “They do everything I want. They make me coffee and juice. They make me baked potatoes and things in the air fryer or a sandwich.”

A relative confirmed records were kept, which they had access to. They told us, “They have an App where they record everything they have given to mum daily.”

The provider 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 ensured good team work was maintained through effective communication. The provider used a secure messaging system, to provide information and updates to staff, outside of the formal team meeting process.

The provider worked effectively with other professionals and care providers, to promote and improve people’s quality of life. For example, the provider was involved in a brand new initiative with a local residential care provider, with the aim of improving togetherness, connection and shared experiences for people using both services. Sessions were scheduled where people could meet up to engage in social and leisure activities, such as games, bingo, community walks and chats over tea and biscuits.

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.

Care plans explained the support people wanted to help them stay well and access healthcare, where necessary. Where people had specific medical conditions, detailed information was in place to explain to staff how this affected the person and how best to support them. Where equipment was required, for example a hoist and sling, clear guidance had been compiled for care staff to refer to. This included information of what the equipment looked like, how to attach a sling and how to safely operate the equipment.

Where other professionals were involved in people’s care, for example physiotherapists, we noted care staff assisted people to complete any planned activities, such as balance and strength exercises, to help promote people’s mobility.

As part of an ongoing commitment to enhancing the well-being of older adults in the community, including those using the service, the provider had partnered with the local authority, to deliver a series of community based walks. These included specific dementia friendly walks, with the aim of reducing social isolation, promoting physical activity, and fostering meaningful connections for the people they supported.

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.

As part of the assessment and care planning process, people were asked what they wanted to achieve through their care and support. Using this information, specific outcomes were included in people’s care plans, along with how people would be supported to achieve these. For example, one person wanted to remain at home, maintain their daily routine and a good standard of hygiene. Clear guidelines had been introduced to ensure they were supported to remain active, and complete daily activities and personal care tasks. People’s chosen outcomes were monitored and reviewed with them, to ensure they remained relevant.

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

People were supported to understand their rights around consent before staff provided them with care and support. People told us staff sought their consent before commencing any care tasks. Comments included, “I like that they ask instead of assuming, they listen and will suggest as well. Mainly they listen and will not try to change my routine” and “They ask me for my consent for everything, that includes medication as well.”

The provider understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The MCA provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The MCA requires that, as far as possible, people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible. Where necessary, the best interest process had been utilised to make certain decisions for people.

Staff had received training in the MCA and had a good working knowledge. One told us, “My understanding of the Mental Capacity Act is that it is in place to protect people's decision making when they are unable to make the decision independently. This helps clients have all the choices and information for them to make their own decisions, where this is not possible and a decision is made on their behalf, it needs to be a decision that is in their best interest. We have had training on this.”