Home Instead Warrington & Lymm

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 people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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's needs were assessed comprehensively before care commenced to ensure support was tailored to their individual circumstances, preferences and desired outcomes. We reviewed detailed assessments and care plans which included information about people's health, strengths, goals, risks and support needs. The provider undertook regular reviews of peoples’ experience, including a 24-hour courtesy call, two-week review and ongoing quality assurance touch points, to ensure care continued to meet people's needs and preferences. Risk assessments and care plans were updated where changes were identified.

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. Staff told us training was thorough and prepared them well for their role. Additional learning opportunities were provided when people developed specific care needs. The registered manager explained where people required support with specific needs, such as stoma care, additional training would be arranged before staff provided support. Staff told us they were expected to read and understand people's care plans before providing support and were given time to do so. People and relatives told us they were confident in staff's abilities and spoke positively about the quality of care received.

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. We saw numerous examples of the provider proactively engaging with external services to ensure people's needs were met and changes in their health or wellbeing were responded to promptly.

The provider identified a person had not been reassessed following discharge from hospital and escalated concerns about their ability to safely use the stairs. The provider worked with the urgent response team and safeguarding services to ensure risks were reviewed and managed.

Following concerns about a person's ongoing skin condition, the provider worked with healthcare professionals to secure district nurse involvement after previous attempt by family to access support had been unsuccessful. A relative described the outcome as ‘amazing’ and thanked the provider for helping secure a home visit and appropriate treatment after months of delay.

The provider worked closely with relatives to ensure care reflected people's wishes, goals and changing circumstances. We saw evidence of collaborative working to develop activity plans, access healthcare services and identify opportunities within the community that enhanced people's wellbeing, independence and social inclusion. One person said, “The carers encourage me to go out, I tell everyone every day I appreciate what they do,” another said, “I wouldn’t be independent without them.”

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. We saw records where the provider had identified changes in people's health and taken timely action to prevent deterioration. We saw evidence of the provider advocating for people who had struggled to access healthcare services. We spoke to family about the impact of the providers interventions who confirmed this had improved access to healthcare for their family members.

Staff demonstrated professional curiosity and an understanding of people's wellbeing. Examples included identifying concerns about poorly fitting clothing, supporting people to access eye care, signposting families to podiatry services, and arranging medication reviews when concerns were identified. The provider promoted people's emotional wellbeing, social connections and independence as part of supporting healthier lives. We saw evidence of people being encouraged to attend community groups, social activities and support networks. One person told us staff had encouraged them to attend a local club, which they now enjoyed regularly. Relatives provided highly positive feedback about the provider's role in improving health outcomes.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured outcomes were positive and consistent, and they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

The provider maintained detailed client ‘touch point’ records which clearly documented when quality monitoring calls had taken place and any actions identified.

People told us they felt listened to and had opportunities to provide feedback about their care. One person described receiving regular contact from the provider following the start of their care package, which allowed them to discuss how the service was working and raise any concerns. We saw positive feedback gathered through reviews and quality assurance processes, demonstrating the provider actively sought people's views and experiences.

The provider analysed incidents, complaints, safeguarding concerns and medication errors to identify learning and opportunities for improvement. Where trends were identified, action was taken, including introducing new procedures, refresher training and enhanced oversight arrangements.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. People were involved in discussions about how they wished to be supported. We reviewed care plans and risk assessments which included information about people's capacity, decision-making abilities and preferences. People told us they felt involved in decisions about their care. One person said they were involved with decisions about their support, while another person told us, “It's all about what I want.” Staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of seeking consent and respecting people's choices. Staff explained how they involved people in day-to-day decisions, checked people were happy with the support being provided and adapted their approach to individuals' communication needs. Staff described referring to care plans to ensure they understood how people preferred to be supported. The provider's risk assessment and review processes ensured people's wishes, preferences and changing circumstances continued to be considered.