Silverbirch House Care Home

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• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 78 (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 were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

People had wellbeing care plans in place which clearly set out what they had enjoyed prior to moving into the service. This helped staff to plan a person’s care in a person-centred way.

People’s individuality was recognised by staff and referenced to in their care plans. For example, where 1 person did not like to be in direct sunlight due to their eyesight. A relative told us, “The staff get to know mum. They are kind and chatty. They are very good at communicating with me about any changes in her condition or anything.”

Staff found care plans comprehensive. A staff member said, “We are responsible for care plans and have the time to do them. There is good communication from the managers around a resident’s needs and any changes.” A relative told us, “Me and my sister have been involved in care plans.”

Staff recorded people’s life histories either in their care plan or a ‘getting to know me’ book. A staff member said, “We can make sure that we are caring for them (people) in the best way. We can do things that might relate to the life history or a topic of interest. It’s getting an understanding of someone.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Staff were aware of people’s capabilities and involved the local community to offer choice and flexibility for people. This included some activities where they external providers offered them in a way that met individual’s needs, such as exercises which could be adapted for standing or sitting. Relatives felt staff recognised people’s individual needs with 1 telling us, “We have been so lucky to find this place. It comes with total peace of mind. The carers hit the right level and they listen to her.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

People and relatives received regular information and updates from the service. This included newsletters and sharing the weekly activity planner. A relative told us, “There is good communication and they phone if anything happens.” Another said, “We get a copy of the activity sheet each week and me and my sister are always informed about specific incidents.”

The registered manager told us, “At present, we provide everything in a standard format at present, however we can translate information if needed and we have a multicultural team who can assist with this.”

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

Meetings were held with people and relatives, giving them the opportunity to hear what was going on within the service as well as future plans. In addition, the service had a resident ambassador who collated any feedback from people and took this to management or the next residents’ meeting. Some people were invited to sit on interview panels when the service was recruiting new staff to help ensure people’s involvement in the running of the care home.

The provider had a ‘You said, we did’ initiative where people could record their comments and ideas. We read that as a result of recent feedback, evening activities had increased, changes were made to the menu and flowering arranging sessions were added to the activity schedule.

At lunchtime staff spent time in the dining rooms chatting to people. This helped staff gather feedback from people in a less formal way. There was also a food and beverage feedback book where people could record comments or suggestions relating to the food.

People and relatives were provided with details on how to raise a concern or a complaint which helped ensure if people were unhappy with any aspect of care, this was investigated and responded to. A relative told us, “No complaints at all. She’s in very safe hands day and night.”

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. A relative told us, “We have met with the GP who is excellent and she (family member) has seen the community chiropodist.”

Staff had good links with external agencies and healthcare providers meaning people could be referred to other agencies if needed or seen by a healthcare professional within the service. People were supported to be seen by professionals such as the speech and language therapy team, occupational therapists or the GP. This helped to ensure people received the right care and treatment at a time when they needed it. One person said, “I can see the GP if I need to. She visits the home.”

The registered manager told us, “I go around every day to people. We need to ensure we know our residents and we do. We follow a whole home approach which ensures when residents need closer monitoring, they receive it.”

Staff and leaders were innovative in how they listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. Staff and leaders actively used this information to provide exceptionally tailored care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff supported people in an exceptional way to help ensure they had a shared experience within the service.

Activities were on offer to everyone, whether they participated in group activities or had a staff member come and sit with them on a 1:1 basis. Some people had completed ‘wish lists’ where they recorded a particular activity or event they would like to take part in and staff worked hard to support the person to achieve this.

One person and their wife used to regularly go to hockey matches. They had a favourite team and never missed a match. Staff recognised an opportunity to create a moment that would reconnect this person with a joyful part of their identity. On the day of the match staff dressed the person in their team’s colours and supported them to attend the game. This meant the person fulfilled a long-held wish to spend an evening enjoying an activity that had meant so much to them and their late wife and it was a night that helped them reconnect with a cherished part of their life.

Another person, grieving the loss of their wife, was unsure whether they could attend a family wedding. But staff made practical arrangements to support the person to attend ensuring all aspects of their care were considered so they could be there. This included their mobility and wellbeing. Surrounded by family, the occasion provided comfort, strength, and a meaningful reminder of the importance of staying connected during difficult times to the person.

In addition, a catering staff member challenged themselves to make a Christmas cake suitable for people on a pureed diet. Their goal was to break away from the idea that puréed food must be plain or unappealing and to demonstrate that food could still be enjoyable and visually appealing regardless of dietary needs. This resulted in them making a cake which could be enjoyed by those on a pureed diet, challenging perceptions that people on puréed diets should not be excluded from shared experiences.

Other people used to have meal deliveries to their home on a regular basis and the service supported them to continue with this. The registered manager said, “It’s about keeping normality (for people) and making sure we are not missing bits.”

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Staff planned to help ensure people’s care at the end of their life was gentle, respectful, and filled with dignity. As one person’s condition deteriorated, staff requested a GP review and held discussions with them and their family about palliative and end-of-life care, including a referral to the local hospice. Staff supported the person through their journey, ensuring that regular healthcare professional input was sought and all necessary medication was available. On the day of the funeral, staff created a memory book for the person’s family and the cortege paused at Silverbirch House for a final farewell.

People’s end of life wishes were recorded in their care plans, together with their decisions around being resuscitated in the event of a medical emergency. A relative told us, “We have recorded her living will wishes.”