The Chase Care Home

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 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 management team and provider knew people well and understood how they wanted to be supported. This person‑centred approach extended across all relevant staff teams. Care plans were individualised and clearly recorded people’s preferences, including how they wished to receive support, their routines, what they enjoyed, and what was important to them.

People and their relatives told us staff provided care that was personalised and followed the person’s wishes. For example, many people told us staff supported them with their oral hygiene and told us of the individual support needs they had. Furthermore, we received a lot of positive feedback relating to choice, and the provision of showers and baths to people, when they would like to have this support.

For example, 1 person told us, “I get asked every day if I would like a shower and then staff come [and help me]. I look after my own teeth. It is part of the routine in the morning; the staff give me the toothbrush and then I clean them.” One person’s relative said, “[Person] can have a bath or shower when [person] wants one. [Person] had a bath not long after [person came to the care home] and it was the first bath in years. They have soft lights and music in the bathroom and [person] had loads of bubbles. [Person] really enjoyed it and it made [person] feel wonderful.”

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 received coordinated care because the provider worked effectively with individuals, families and healthcare partners to ensure continuity of support. Staff made timely referrals to health and social care professionals when concerns were identified and sought specialist equipment where people’s needs required this. This helped people to receive the right support at the right time.

Staff continually developed their skills and followed clear procedures to increase their confidence in accessing medical reviews and emergency care for people when needed. Staff told us they were well supported by urgent health services and community nurses. We observed health professionals visiting the care home, and staff ensured people’s care records were updated promptly following these visits, supporting continuity and safe, joined‑up care.

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

The provider ensured information was given to people in ways they could understand, and staff completed assessments of each person’s communication needs to support this. During the assessment, further improvements were made to help people living with dementia, including clearer pictorial signage, memory boxes and photographs outside bedrooms.

The provider used accessible technology such as voice‑activated appliances and electronic orientation devices that displayed clear visual information about the time, date and month. Information about activities and menu options was provided in both written and pictorial formats, and the service maintained an active social media account to keep people and their relatives updated on events and news.

People told us they valued having information in formats that suited them. One person said they enjoyed looking at the menu and found ‘show plates’ at mealtimes helpful when choosing their meals. Another person told us they appreciated receiving a monthly paper copy of the activities schedule, which included written and pictorial information they could refer to each day to plan their time.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

The provider offered clear and accessible opportunities for people and their relatives to give feedback. This included an open‑door policy that encouraged people and those important to them to approach staff and the management team at any time. While we received some feedback from relatives about previous inconsistent communication experiences with staff, we saw the new management team were proactive in seeking ongoing feedback and took time to listen to and discuss any important matters as they arose.

The provider had a complaints policy in place, and we found concerns, complaints and compliments were reviewed appropriately and in line with this policy. Information was shared within the staff team, and we saw the provider applied learning from feedback and events to make improvements. This helped support a culture where people’s views were valued and acted upon. People told us they felt confident and comfortable speaking with staff. For example, 1 person said, “I would just go to the front desk and speak to them there if I wasn’t happy with anything, and I would do it.”

People and their relatives told us they had opportunities to meet with managers and staff. For example, 1 person told us, “We have regular resident’s meetings with the manager which gives us the opportunity to give feedback and say what we want.” Another person said, “We have quite regular resident’s meetings, and I feel I can speak up about anything. [Staff do listen to you].”

Some people’s relatives did share some difficulties experienced with gaining entry when reception staff were not on duty. We shared this feedback with the provider who promptly reviewed their systems and implemented a new visitor doorbell.

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

People had access to the equipment they needed to stay mobile, safe and able to move around the care home. Staff supported people to attend health appointments both inside and outside the service, ensuring they received timely input from relevant professionals. We received positive feedback from healthcare professionals, who told us staff worked well with them and supported people effectively to access the care they needed.

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.

People had equitable access to meaningful activities and social opportunities. We observed people enjoying a range of activities, both planned sessions and everyday options such as board games and jigsaws. People used these independently, with visitors, and with one another. A newly appointed events co‑ordinator spent time talking with people about their interests to ensure activities reflected what they enjoyed.

There was a strong focus on creating varied events and opportunities to connect with the local community, including activities involving local young people and animals. People were also supported to go out into the community if they chose to, and to attend social or important local meetings that mattered to them. This helped ensure people experienced positive, inclusive and fulfilling daily lives.

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.

An End-of-Life Champion was in post, helping to ensure best‑practice guidance was shared across the team. The champion also received additional specialist training in end-of-life care and cultural needs through a local hospice, which strengthened their knowledge and enabled them to share best practice approaches with colleagues. This supported consistent, compassionate and well‑informed future planning for people using the service.

People told us they felt well supported by staff. For example, 1 person said, “Everything is written down for when something happens to me. It is all recorded in a [care plan].” People’s records contained information from people, and their relatives, about what was important to them, when considering future care.

The senior leaders of the organisation had a clear vision and passion to provide high quality care, through all stages of life. The nominated individual told us they would soon be introducing specific audits which focused on end of life, to further monitor people’s experiences.