Mend Care

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 for 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 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, well-being and communication needs with them.

People and those involved in their care took part in assessments and reviews of their needs. Records showed their views and opinions were respected, listened to and implemented as part of the day-to-day support. A relative told us, “[Family member] knows them so well, they are lovely, and I’m thrilled we found them. They take their time to make sure that they are providing the right care for [family member], it's all good.”

Information from assessments was used to develop detailed care plans covering people’s holistic needs, including physical and mental health, communication preferences, the home environment and personal goals. Care plans contained information and guidance regarding health issues, which staff may not be aware of or come across before. Care plans gave a snapshot at how the condition affected the person, and what a good day would look like versus a bad day.

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.

Care plans reflected current best practice guidance where required, including advice from specialist services such as speech and language therapy (SALT) for dysphagia and clinical guidance for long term conditions such as diabetes. Staff understood how to follow these plans and adapt their practice when people’s needs changed.

People told us staff supported their nutritional needs in ways that respected their preferences and routines. One person said, “The carers know me well, and my likes. They say ‘What would you like?’ ... so I always have the choice.” Relatives also agreed and said, “The carers are so lovely. They even send me photos of what dinners [family member] is having.... [family member] has eggs and bacon for breakfast.”

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 staff team at Mend Care worked well together. Staff were positive about the ways they worked and the support they received from senior staff. Regular team meetings were held for the staff and they felt these were effective.

The registered manager worked shifts alongside staff regularly, this enabled closer working relationships and developed trust between care staff and management.

Staff worked well with external professionals, including district nurses, GPs and social workers. Referrals and escalations were made in a timely way and were clearly documented. A staff member told us, “We work with GPs, district nurse, social workers, the mental health team when required to support [people] effectively.” External professionals were happy to give feedback to us, and this was mostly very positive.

Where feedback hadn’t been positive, we could see that this directly related to a serious incident in the service. We were however assured that effective learning from this event had been recognised and changes made had been embedded as a result.

The provider supported people to manage their health and well-being 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.

People told us staff were proactive in recognising and responding to changes in their health. This included identifying early signs of health deterioration. A person told us, “The carers have noticed things where I’ve needed help, and they phone through for an ambulance to check things out.”

Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of how to identify health concerns and told us they reported these promptly to ensure people received timely support and treatment.

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.

Regular audits of care records, including care notes and medicine administration records checked that care had been delivered as planned and people’s well-being monitored. This enabled the registered manager to see specific trends, or areas where the care may need adapting. Relatives told us care plans were reviewed and updated as needed.

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

The provider promoted people’s rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Records we reviewed showed capacity was considered on a decision specific basis, and best interest processes were used when required. People were involved in decisions about their care, with families or others consulted where appropriate.

People confirmed staff always asked them for their consent before supporting them with anything. One person said, “They ask me if I’d like this or that. They say, “Shall we do?... They are really nice people.”

Staff told us they understood the importance of asking for consent from a person and including people in decision making about their own health and support. They completed training in relation to mental capacity and understood how to support people to make choices about their care. A staff member told us, “I ask [people] for their views, respect their choices and explain options clearly.” Another member of staff said, “I explain what I am about to do and acquire consent before proceeding or respect the [person’s] decision if consent is not given.”