Amaiva Homecare Services

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 newly registered 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, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

A full pre-assessment was completed by the registered manager before people were accepted by the service and this identified any specific needs and the support required. Relatives were welcome to be involved the assessment process if the person agreed, or they were required to give consent within a best interest meeting. Detailed care plans and risk assessments were in place for everyone who received support and these were reviewed at regular intervals or when care needs changed. People’s communication needs were considered as part of the general assessment and any preferences were documented. Staff spoken with told us they were aware of this and when to make sure people understood what was happening, saying, “We had a client where we used a whiteboard to write sentences” and “With people who are hard of hearing I use hand gestures and need to raise my voice.”

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.

Recognised protocols and processes were used to support delivery of care to people, for example, following set guidance in medicine management and administration. Manual handling practices were constantly reviewed to ensure they were correct and suitable for people being supported and the registered manager had organised a profile bed that was kept in the back room at the main office so staff could have practical training on the techniques to use. This maintained confidence and helped with the learning of new skills. The registered manager told us they supported someone with care and repositioning in bed, who was unable to move in the usual way; the registered manager had access to the Occupational Therapist report which meant they could instruct staff in how this person liked things to be done, which was in a unique way, personal to them.

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.

Care packages were agreed by the registered manager considering any specific discharge plans or transfer arrangement that need to be accommodated to ensure the safe transition of people into their care. Information was effectively shared between healthcare settings, families and partner services to ensure the correct level of support was implemented. Managers and staff worked well together in establishing a routine and involved people in setting up the arrangements. A person confirmed to us they were happy with the call times stating, “The call times suit me.” Staff confirmed they had access to all the necessary information to support people safely, and care plans clearly communicated the needs and support required. The fact that care was planned with core team members supporting the same people contributed to relationships being developed and staff getting to know the needs and wishes of an individual. All relevant information was shared when staff supported people with appointments in different healthcare settings via a hospital passport which the registered manager made sure was available for staff to access.

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.

People were actively encouraged to be involved in all aspects of their care and treatment, and managers recognised the value and importance of empowering people to continue with their lifestyle choices and routines. When care staff supported people with nutrition and hydration needs, preparing meals and drinks, they offered for people to be involved in these tasks so including them in maintaining normal daily activities. Staff promoted balanced meals and encouraged healthy eating and enough fluids to maintain general health. Care staff were provided with food hygiene training and were made aware of anyone who had specific needs with swallowing or modified diets. A staff member told us, “I support someone who has liquidised foods as they are unable to have solids.” People were assisted by staff to go out and have a social life, visiting places they enjoyed going and maintaining levels of mobility that contributed to their well-being and physical independence.Staff had enough knowledge of people’s health issues to identify any problems that may arise and a professional told us, “The team is proactive in raising concerns and regularly seeks advice whenever appropriate.” We saw evidence of guidancefor care staff from other healthcare professionals enabling them to offer correct support to people and contribute to managing conditions such as pressure areas.

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.

Care plans and risk assessments were regularly reviewed and updated as needed, and staff monitored people during their daily visits so identified risks and required referrals could be made to other healthcare professionals. The registered manager and their staff knew people well and could recognise the small changes which may indicate when a larger problem might need attention. In one instance carers noticed a person was losing weight, this was communicated to the person’s family who then arranged a GP appointment for a health check to be completed. Another person had the support of the Speech and Language Therapists, SALT, who were due to revisit later in the year; SALT support people who have speech or swallowing difficulties and advise on the safest way to assist people. The individual was supported by staff to use a Reflo cup which helped slow the speed of drinking so minimising the risk of choking. Managers completed spot checks on staff which maintained work performance standards, with observed feedback on a staff member detailing, “Kind, considerate approach which promoted wellbeing and maintained dignity.”

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

People’s care plans contained agreed consent records for various tasks and activities including delivery of care and the sharing of information. Staff understood the importance of gaining consent before assisting people with any care needs and confirmed they understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act with training in this topic being provided to all staff. Staff told us they recognised the importance of body language and used gestures and simple sign language when communicating with those people who had a form of sensory impairment, with a member of staff saying, “When assisting someone who is not talking, I still ask if it’s OK to do something and I say 1, 2, 3 to prepare for the actions, they are calmer with this” and another telling us “Yes I have had training in consent and capacity, I explain all we are doing and look at body language, they may smile or not and show if stressed.”Best interest meetings had been held, involving other professional partners such as social workers and GP’s who had contributed to safer treatment decisions with people’s next of kin. A professional told us, “I have personally observed carers seeking consent before providing care, which demonstrates not only respect for the individual’s autonomy but also their commitment to person-centred practise and maintaining the dignity of those they support.”