Sylvian Care Farnham

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- amend as required 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.

People had person‑centred care plans which focused on their individual goals and aspirations. Staff had sufficient time to read and understand people’s care records. A relative told us, “[Registered manager] listened well and made sure all of his needs were fully discussed and documented.”

The provider told us, “They [staff] always read the care plan. I always tell them if they can take time before they arrive to the client to read about the risk with the clients and their routine.”

Staff worked in partnership with people to ensure their views and opinions were included in the development and review of care plans. This helped ensure care reflected what mattered most to people and supported their preferences and choices.

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.

People were supported with eating and drinking. People and their relatives told us they were supported well and that dietary needs were met appropriately. One relative told us, “[Family member] likes freshly cooked meals and not microwaved meals, and the carers make these meals for [family member] and he’s very excited about it.”

Staff worked in line with people’s planned care and support needs. People’s likes and dislikes were clearly recorded and known to staff, who took these into account when providing support. This helped ensure care was person‑centred and consistent with people’s preferences.

Leaders told us they ensured they kept up to date with current good practice. The registered manager told us, “Apart from the newsletters that we receive from CQC, we have skills for care as well. We have constant training for ourselves as a register manager and nominated individual.”

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 PIR stated, ‘We maintain close working relationships with the community tissue viability and nutrition teams, enabling swift referrals and timely interventions when required.’
The provider worked alongside other professionals to support coordinated and joined‑up care. This helped ensure relevant information was shared appropriately and people’s needs were understood and responded to effectively.

Staff also met regularly as a team to share information and discuss people’s care. Leaders and staff told us they worked well together and knew people well. Due to the small size of the service the provider and registered manager, who were both experienced carers, would support with care visits where needed. This supported consistency, effective communication and continuity of care for people using the service. One member of staff told us, “I have good communication with my employer. They keep in touch and support me every time.”

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 and their relatives told us staff were attentive to people’s wellbeing and offered guidance and encouragement. One relative told us, “They would support with health appointments where needed.” This support helped people to maintain their health and wellbeing and remain as independent as possible.

Staff supported people to manage their health and wellbeing in ways that promoted independence, choice and positive daily routines. Staff were able to give examples of how they supported people to live healthier lives in line with their individual health conditions. One member of staff was aware that a person needed to be mindful of their blood sugar levels. They told us, “If she is sweating or shaking, I will think she might be having a hypo and encourage her to drink some juice. I try to minimise risks” (This is when your blood glucose (sugar) level drops too low)
 

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.

We identified elements of monitoring care could be improved upon including the recording of people’s hydration intake and bowel monitoring for 1 person. We informed the provider and registered manager of this, who told us they would take immediate action to address this.

One relative fed back to the service, ‘[Provider] is so conscientious, noticing every little change, whether it is a missing drug from the pharmacist, a pressure sore just starting or a piece of equipment that could help in some way. She is an absolute wonder woman! She gives us peace of mind and my [family member] has the best care ever.’

We saw evidence that regular reviews were carried out. These reviews helped ensure care remained appropriate, up to date and responsive to any changes in people’s needs, for example if a person lost weight. People and relatives told us they felt people’s care was monitored effectively, which contributed to consistent, positive outcomes for people using the service. One member of staff told us, “I am very careful with the clients to stay safe by using the equipment instructed to take care of them. I ask them, I communicate. I look out for signs, symptoms, bruises, sores, dizziness.”

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

Staff consistently asked for people’s consent before providing care and support. This was recorded appropriately within people’s care records. People confirmed this in their feedback. One relative told us, “[Family member] has the same staff, [their family member] tells them [staff] always ask if her if they can do things.” This demonstrated that staff respected people’s rights and involved them in decisions about their care and treatment. A member of staff told us, “Everything I do, I ask them what I can do. I always presume they have capacity. I involve them. I always check people’s preferred routines.”