Ravens Care Kettering

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, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People’s support plans contained comprehensive assessments of their individual needs. These assessments clearly reflected people’s preferences, abilities, and the support required to help them achieve positive outcomes. Where appropriate, relatives and relevant professionals were involved to ensure assessments were accurate and reflected people’s current needs. This enabled leaders to determine the service was right, and they could meet people’s needs safely .

People were supported to take an active role in reviewing their support plans. Staff used pictorial prompts to help people understand and contribute to their care planning. Support plans contained information enabling staff to recognise anxiety and distress and follow best practice and de-escalation strategies.

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.

The provider worked in line with the principles of Right Support, Right Care and Right Culture. Before accepting care packages, they assessed suitability by reviewing staff skills, experience, and each person’s individual needs and preferences.

A relative told us staff knew their family member well and used communication techniques that suited them, ensuring support was delivered in a way they understood.

People’s care and support were delivered in line with current evidence-based guidance, with staff following support plans that clearly outlined how to support each individual.

People’s nutritional and dietary needs were met, with staff supporting meal planning, preparation, and individual choices.

Management and staff demonstrated a strong understanding of best practice when supporting autistic people and individuals with a learning disability. Staff had completed nationally recognised training in learning disability and autism, ensuring they had the knowledge and skills to deliver safe, inclusive, and person-centred care.

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.

There was clear evidence of effective partnership working, both internally and with external professionals, to ensure people received timely and coordinated care. Staff spoke positively about teamwork and communication. Management shared information through daily handovers and a digital care system, ensuring all staff had access to up-to-date information and promoting consistency and continuity of care.

Support plans were personalised and care notes completed by staff showed staff provided person-centred care. The service worked in partnership with health professionals; however, the engagement was not always documented. Management acknowledged this and confirmed that improvements would be made to ensure accurate recording of professional involvement. Support plans and hospital passports were regularly updated to reflect individuals current health and care needs.

Staff felt listened to and well supported by management. They described a stable staffing environment, which enabled them to work effectively. This demonstrated that leaders fostered a supportive culture, ensuring people experienced consistent, joined-up care across staff teams and external partners.

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 encouraged to make healthy lifestyle choices as part of their daily support. A relative told us staff regularly encouraged their family member to engage in exercise, such as walking, and adopting healthier eating habits, helping to reduce the risk of health complications and promote overall wellbeing.

People received support from staff to access healthcare services when needed to maintain their health. A relative explained that, although they often supported their family member to attend appointments, they were confident staff would provide support when required. Records confirmed staff accompanied individuals to health appointments, including annual health checks and reviews, to support their ongoing health and wellbeing.

Staff understood people’s health needs and described how they supported individuals to access services when required. They provided examples of actions taken when changes in health were identified, ensuring timely access to appropriate healthcare services.

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.

The provider had clear systems to ensure people’s care, support and health needs were assessed, monitored, and reviewed. Support plans and risk assessments were personalised, reflecting individual needs and risks and monitoring required to manage any health conditions.

Staff monitored people’s wellbeing and health. Records completed by staff in relation to the support provided, eating and drinking, incidents, and levels of anxiety, were completed fully and consistently. This helped identify any changes in health, independence, or routines and was effectively shared with staff to enable prompt and appropriate responses to emerging needs.

People, along with their relatives or representatives, were involved in the review of their care and support, and plans were updated as required. This helped ensure support stayed relevant and reflected the person’s current needs.

Management carried out spot checks to ensure staff were following care plans and delivering support as agreed. Staff welcomed the spot checks as assured them they continued to provide the standard of care and support expected.

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

Leaders ensured they worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and met their legal requirements. Management and staff had received appropriate training, and systems were in place to assess people’s capacity to make specific decisions. Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of their responsibilities to seek consent and respect individuals’ choices. One staff member explained, “[Person’s name] lacks capacity but will point to what they want to wear or eat when offered a choice of two options,” demonstrating how people were supported to make decisions wherever possible.

Staff told us they always sought the person’s consent before providing care. A relative said, “[Person name] will make decisions about what they want staff to do for them, and they do listen and respect them.” Where individuals lacked capacity, relatives or representatives with appropriate legal authority were involved in best interests decisions. Where people were subject to continuous supervision or restrictions, the required legal authorisations were in place, including an active authorisation pending renewal.

Staff described how they sought consent throughout daily routines, including personal care, meal preparation, and activities. They emphasised encouraging participation wherever possible and consistently respecting people’s preferences and choices.