Westmoorland and Furness

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 most people’s feedback confirmed this.

This service scored 67 (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 peoples care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their healthcare, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Two peoples care plans and associated risk assessments we looked at during the inspection had not been reviewed for over 8 months, 80% of the care plans and associated risk assessments that we looked at, had been reviewed in line with the providers own procedures.

People and their relatives told us that provider had involved them in the planning and reviewing of their care at regular intervals.

We saw evidence of people’s care reviews taking place, and that people and their relatives could communicate directly with the service about changes in people’s needs.
 

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 and care staff delivered care based upon assessment of what mattered to people. Likes, dislikes and preferences were recorded and reflected in peoples care plans. Nutrition and hydration preferences were recorded, and we saw that people’s needs around communication were recorded. A care plan for one person instructed care staff that they should, ‘communicate in a high voice and give me time to respond ’.

The provider used an electronic care record system. The provider told us that this notified them about the latest good practice in care, and updates in legislation.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure that people only had to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people accessed or moved between services.

We saw evidence of good communication between the provider and other healthcare professionals. The provider made referrals to other healthcare professionals to seek support and guidance around a range of support needs such as mobility, swallowing issues and wound care.

We saw good communication by way of handover notes and mobile phone messaging between the provider and care staff, to notify them of updates from healthcare professionals and of changes to people’s care following these visits.

Of the 3 care staff that we spoke to, all told us that communication at the service was good. With 1 member of care staff telling us, “Communication is great, I’ve never worked anywhere else where it has been this good”

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 provider made referrals to other healthcare professionals to seek support and guidance around a range of support needs such as mobility, swallowing issues and wound care.

We saw good communication by way of handover notes and mobile phone messaging between the provider and care staff, to notify them of updates from healthcare professionals and of changes to people’s care following these visits.

Of the 3 care staff that we spoke to, all told us that communication at the service was good. With 1 member of care staff telling us, “Communication is great, I’ve never worked anywhere else where it has been this good”
 

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Care staff supported people to live healthier lives, and where possible reduce their future needs for care and support.

Although there was some mixed feedback around food presentation and correct food items not always being purchased by care staff. We saw evidence by way of care note entries, that care staff offered people choice around food and drink options, and we saw that care staff encouraged people to eat and drink. We saw that care staff encouraged people to mobilise when appropriate.

We saw that when appropriate, the provider contacted GP’s and other health professionals on people’s behalf, to seek support and gain access to healthcare appointments
 

The service did not always support people to manage their health and wellbeing, so people could not always maximise their independence, choice and control. The service did not always support people to live healthier lives, or where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

People’s needs were reviewed, but these were not always in line with the providers own policies. We spoke to one person who told us that despite having raised a complaint to the provider, the issue was still occurring.

However, care staff provided continuous ongoing monitoring of people who use the service via real time via live electronic care plan updates.
 

The service did not always tell people about their rights around consent and did not always respect their rights when delivering care and treatment.

The provider had not always made decisions around people’s care based on the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and decisions that had been made in their best interest had not always been recorded.
The deputy care manager told us that one person only wanted their care to be provided by a female care staff, but that they continued to try and encourage this person to accept a male care staff, as it was sometimes difficult to always send a female care staff.

Of the 8 people or their relatives that we spoke to, 6 told us that care staff always sought consent before providing care and treatment and we saw evidence of consent being obtained and recorded in care notes.