St Anne's Nursing Home

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. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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.

Care plans we viewed were detailed and relevant to people’s needs. In addition to care needs we saw care plans which considered the whole person. This included communication needs, dietary preferences, religious/cultural fulfilment as well as recording personal information about who a person was, what they enjoyed and who was important to them.

Relevant people were involved in assessing needs in addition to St Anne’s staff and the people plans were written for.

We saw specific care plans for falls risk and emotional wellbeing. These were person centred and showed consideration for individual preference.

Notes we viewed from care visits were comprehensive. They included any concerns or changes to a person’s usual needs.

Care plans and risk assessments were regularly reviewed as scheduled, but also when any changes were made or needed.

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 service worked with a multidisciplinary team (MDT) to ensure relevant and up to date treatments were used. Advice given by the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) team was followed in relation to food and liquid consistency as it applied to people individually. Kitchen staff were familiar with people’s needs in this regard and ensured all meals were adapted as needed.

People’s risk of falls and skin integrity was measured using recognised tools, with any concerns appropriately assessed and relevant referrals for support sent. Such risk assessments we viewed were clear with details of preventive measures including any supporting equipment used.

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.

Partners we spoke to share a positive experience of working collaboratively with St Anne’s. Staff attended regular MDT meetings which helped ensure all parties involved with supporting people were aware of up-to-date needs and developments. Information is shared as needed in line with privacy legislation.

In addition to support for people already living at St Anne’s partners told us they worked well to support transitions to the home. “The registered manager worked collaboratively with the local council during emergencies and to fill unoccupied beds.”

People’s relatives told us they felt they were kept well informed, “The carers are pretty good at keeping us informed,” and “Will always call if there is a hospital appointment or an issue to be discussed.”

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.

St Anne’s supported people to live healthily. People had regular visits from the GP and additional input where required. Seasonal vaccines were given to help reduce the risk of infection. Other services such as podiatry and dentistry also visited as needed.

People were supported to stay as physically active as possible, including sitting exercises for those unable to stand. Some activities also promoted dexterity and coordination with the use of touch screen games.

Snacks and water were readily available in communal areas with additional steps taken to promote hydration. Staff were aware of the importance of promoting hydration and nutrition. The activities coordinator took the initiative to add ‘Hydration Casino’ (where people had ‘shots’ of alcohol-free drinks) to the activity timetable which encouraged people to remain well hydrated.

St Anne’s had also altered the time of the main meals to evening rather than lunchtime. The service told us there had been a noticeable reduction in weight loss and people were eating more and sleeping better as a result – though detailed analysis was incomplete at the time of our assessment.

A person told us, “I get enough. I am never hungry. I get loads of fluids. I get a choice as well. The food is fine.”

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 records we viewed showed effective monitoring, with guidance sought if changes might be needed to achieve expected outcomes. Improvement and decline in health were both recognised and guidance given by professionals was followed. Care plans were recorded using a digital system that allowed for oversight by all appropriate staff members.

One healthcare professional working with St Anne’s told us, “I have been working with the home for 15 years and could not do so if I did not trust the staff to alert me promptly to issues as they arise and follow my actions as advised.”

Regular care plan reviews took place involving people and their family or friends where desired, to ensure care support reflected current needs.

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

People told us care staff always sought consent prior to carrying out tasks, which we also observed during our assessment. When people didn’t consent this was recorded and respected.

Where people had been assessed as not having capacity to make specific decisions this was clearly documented. When this was the case consent was sought from the person with legal authority to consent on a person’s behalf. This was clearly recorded in individual care plans.

The service worked with partner agencies where necessary to ensure people’s rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Staff we spoke to understood, the key principles of this legislation and worked in people’s best interests when providing care and treatment.

The service worked well with partner agencies as necessary. One healthcare partner told us, “Best interest assessors visit when necessary and capacity is regularly re-assessed at the bed side for decisions big and small, by all the staff. When capacity is a complex decision or fluctuating, the staff recruit help, appropriately.”