Handley Care Services Limited

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 inspection for this service under supported living services. However, the previous inspection referred to the exact same location and was rated good. 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, their relatives and involved professionals were involved in assessing individual needs and identifying any perceived risks. People’s assessments also included details of any specific communication needs. People’s care plans also detailed when changes in people’s physical presentation, or emotional wellbeing, may indicate a deterioration in their health.

People, and their relatives where appropriate, were involved in the initial care needs assessment and periodic review of their care plans if their needs changed. People’s care plans identified their care needs but also referred to people’s individual strengths and ways in which their independence could be supported and encouraged.

People’s relatives told us how good the staff were in supporting people who could not communicate verbally, for example one relative shared how they had seen how the staff got to know their family member’s specific needs and how they could see the reactions from the person and understand the meaning.

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.

People’s care needs were detailed in their care plans, including guidance on how their specific needs were to be met and how they could access any required care and treatment. For example, where relevant to them, people had detailed care plan sections in relation to any food and nutrition support required from staff. People received care, treatment and support which overall was evidence-based and in line with good practice standards.

Staff confirmed they had opportunities to learn about people sharing, “There are plenty of opportunities and time in between daily tasks to read through and get to know and understand the people we support.”
 

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.

People were supported by staff who worked well together and with other external health and social care professionals and bodies. An external healthcare professional told us, “Residents have been of primary concern to the staff, they know them well, and try hard to meet different interests. We have always been welcomed into the home, and staff have been open about any needs and changes, working with therapists to support.”

Staff had access to the information they needed to appropriately assess, plan and deliver people’s care, treatment and support. Systems were in place to make sure information was shared in a timely manner by everyone involved in people’s care. This helped to ensure a joined up, consistent approach to delivering safe and effective care to people in line with their individually assessed needs and preferences.
 

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 and supported to make decisions about their own care needs by staff who understood their care needs and preferences. Staff encouraged and supported people to make healthier choices to help promote and maintain their health and wellbeing but were also mindful that the person had the final say on decisions relating to their care. Staff regularly monitored people’s health and supported people to access external primary healthcare support, including from GPs. People’s relatives confirmed this, “I am usually informed if there is a problem. They get the GP in or community nurse if they need help or advice with anything.”
 

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.

People told us they experienced positive outcomes from the service. There were effective approaches to monitor people’s care and treatment and their individual outcomes, including maintaining as much independence as possible. For example, a person’s relative told us, “We sat down and the manager was involved too. Every member of staff reads it [the persons support plan] and knows how to deal with things if there is one of those difficult moments or episodes. We found management and staff worked together to ensure people’s choices and wishes were respected.

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

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). In supported living services this can be done through the Court of Protection (COP). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed Community DoLS and COP orders within the service. People were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions they had choice, control and freedom over their lives.

People’s care plans contained assessments of people’s individual capacity to consent to specific decisions about their care. Staff encouraged people to make decisions about aspects of their daily care routines, and staff always obtained consent from the person before supporting them. Where people were unable to meaningfully consent, appropriate best interest decisions were made and recorded in their care plans.