Heatherstones Court

On this page

• 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.At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has remained Good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 86 (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 was exceptional at making 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 were at the centre of all decisions and were involved throughout their rehabilitation and reablement journey. People’s involvement started with the initial referral to the service, the assessment of their needs, the identifying of goals, and the ongoing review as to their progress. Staff sat with people to develop their care plans and ensure all relevant information was captured. Care plans were very detailed and exceptionally individualised. The provider was highly proactive in involving people in care reviews. Regular reviews and weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings took place, where discussions were held with people to review progress and determine what outcomes were still required. Outside of formal reviews, staff regularly checked in with people.

The provider’s processes facilitated and encouraged an inclusive and person-centred approach to care, underpinned by collaborative working with other health and social care professionals, placing people at the heart of the service. Feedback from people, relatives and professionals confirmed care was extremely person-centred and described how the service was exceptional in the way they tailored and adapted people’s support. A social care professional told us, “The service and partnership working approach provided by the Heatherstones team has been exceptional. What truly sets them apart is their person-centred approach. They took the time to understand the difficult and sensitive situation and the individual's unique needs. The care was not only respectful and dignified but also empowering, helping the individual regain confidence and independence during their stay at Heatherstones Court. The team also worked collaboratively with other professionals involved in the individual's care. This ensured a seamless and coordinated experience, with everyone aligned around the individual's well-being and progress.”

Staff fully embraced the excellent person-centred culture of the organisation and put people at the heart of the service. They were reliable, consistent and truly dedicated to caring for people. Comments included, “Care plans are very person-centred, we involve the person in every aspect of their care and decisions. We make things happen that really matter to people" and “It is a privilege to be able to support the people who come here and to see the difference we make to their lives.”

In feedback we saw, people consistently praised staff in delivering a unique and flexible service which met all their needs and exceeded their expectations.

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

Staff liaised with health and social care professionals as part of people’s rehabilitation, to achieve the best outcomes for people. The registered manager said, “From admission to discharge, we work with a range of professionals to ensure people’s needs are met to the best of our ability giving them the best possible achievable outcomes.” One health care professional told us, “The Heatherstones Court team strive to ensure the patient within their care is receiving the best possible quality care from not only themselves but the wider team. The quality of documentation is high. They are continuously updating care plans and paperwork to reflect every change in patient care as it happens. Every change of need and care is communicated to the whole team. I attend a weekly MDT where each patient is discussed in detail and next steps of care and therapy intervention is planned.The management team work tirelessly to enable the patient to move on from Heatherstones Court to their next home, they are tenacious at striving to achieve the best outcome for the patient.”

The registered manager facilitated weekly multi-disciplinary team meetings. The registered manager, deputy manager and staff facilitated and worked collaboratively with health and social care professional sand agencies to meet the diverse health and care needs of people using the service. For example, 1 person entered the service with significantly reduced confidence and independence after several months in a care home. With consistent encouragement and rehabilitation input, they quickly regained skills in meal preparation, personal care, and household tasks. Occupational therapy and physiotherapy input supported them to progress from needing oversight to completing tasks independently within a short period. Over the following weeks, the person achieved full independence with staff input reduced to a single daily wellbeing check. The person was discharged and able to live independently.

The person said they felt staff had helped them regain independence not by giving physical help but by supporting and encouraging their independence. The person described the staff, and what they did, as ‘amazing’.

The provider was exceptional at developing appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

The provider demonstrated an exceptional commitment to meeting the Accessible Information Standard, ensuring every person could fully understand and participate in their care. Communication needs were identified on admission and recorded in a clear, consistent and person-centred way. Staff captured all preferences, including requirements for large print, braille, easy‑ read, audio or translated materials, and ensured this information was readily accessible to all staff supporting the individual. This meant people consistently received information in a way that maximised understanding, dignity and involvement.

All care records were provided in the person’s preferred format. People were fully involved in discussions about how they wished to receive information, and staff adapted approaches to ensure people remained included and empowered. For example, one person whose first language was Slovakian had all written communication translated into Slovakian, enabling them to fully engage in decision making. Another person preferred not to use the telephone, so their GP practice was informed that all correspondence must be provided in writing. This personalised approach ensured people remained in control of their care and respected their communication needs.

Telecare was available in every apartment. For people who were non‑verbal, staff had excellent awareness of the most effective communication methods and shared this with external professionals. Emergency response teams were notified when a person was unable to communicate verbally, ensuring immediate action if an alarm was activated. The out of hours care control centre were kept fully informed of people’s communication needs to prevent any delay in response times.

Staff also supported people to use digital devices, including assistance with purchasing and learning to use mobile phones or tablets. This helped people maintain independence, contact with others and confidence in managing new technology.

Specialist communication needs were identified promptly, with timely referrals made to relevant professionals such as speech and language therapy or sensory impairment services.

Compliance with the Accessible Information Standard was audited regularly, with adjustments made swiftly where improvements were identified.

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.

People were provided with the opportunity to provide feedback and ideas or raise complaints about their care treatment and support throughout their reablement journey. This was facilitated through daily contact with staff, care reviews and surveys during people’s stay and on discharge.

Staff ensured people were listened to by involving them in decisions, and in setting and reviewing their goals throughout their rehabilitation.

On admission people were provided with a Welcome Pack which included a welcome letter and provided key information about the service, including the provider’s complaints procedure. The registered manager told us there had been no complaints.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

The provider understood the potential barriers which some people may face in accessing services. The collaborative approach of the staff team in working with and alongside health and social care professionals and other agencies, reduced those barriers, by facilitating people’s access to services.

Care records provided clear evidence of the involvement of health and social care professionals in the person’s rehabilitation and its positive impact on the individual. The multi-agency approach, co-ordinated by Heatherstones Court, ensured referrals to other services such as technology, housing, occupational therapy or nursing were made in a timely manner which had a positive impact on people regaining their independence.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff received training in equality, diversity and inclusion, including LGBTQ+ awareness, ensuring communication was consistently respectful, inclusive and tailored to each person’s identity and preferences. These principles were embedded in decision making. Feedback from people highlighted positive experiences and outcomes, including improved quality of life and increased independence. Staff consistently adopted a person-centred, ‘do with’ approach and worked proactively with other professionals and agencies to achieve positive outcomes, while recognising and addressing potential barriers to access faced by some who used the service.

This ensured people felt valued, fully understood and able to participate in all aspects of their care.

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.

The provider had effective systems in place should a person health and wellbeing decline while in the reablement service, which included liaison with health and social care professionals to source the best support and care for people. Staff had received training in end-of-life care. Care plans were in place providing information about people’s wishes and preferences regarding end-of-life care, including details of any advanced wishes or DNACPR (a document which records people’s advanced wishes should they stop breathing).