St Joseph'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 71 (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.

Staff undertook assessments to ensure they could meet the identified needs of the person and staff had the necessary training to keep them safe and well.

People’s communication needs were assessed regularly to ensure people were offered every opportunity to participate in their care decisions. People’s care records were reviewed regularly to ensure they remained an accurate reflection of people’s needs. A staff member told us, “I use a variety of communication methods, depending on resident’s needs including verbal communication, active listening, clear and simple language, nonverbal cues such as gestures and facial expressions, communication tools for residents with speech and hearing difficulties.”

The provider had effective systems to monitor and review care plans using their electronic care plan system, which prompted timely reviews. Staff worked closely with healthcare professionals and held weekly multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings via Teams to ensure coordinated care. Staff knew people well and were proactive in responding to changing needs.

Staff referred people to other agencies promptly, and there was clear evidence of collaborative working. Staff identified any rapid changes in people’s condition and immediately contacted relevant services.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them.

Staff were aware of people’s specific dietary needs and how to meet them. For example, people who were at risk of choking were provided with food of the correct consistency and thickened drinks in line with their assessed needs. Staff demonstrated an understanding of national tools and their purpose. This included screening people for pressure risk, falls, and malnutrition risk, and referring to relevant professionals when needed.

People and relatives were happy with the food provided and comments included, “Brilliant food, well cooked edible, it is restaurant hotel quality food”,” With food I am fussy, I pick bacon and eggs, I never go hungry” and “I make tea and toast for my husband and myself, I bring food from home and put it in the fridge, staff are ok with that, we are halal and they order special meat in for us, they order more chicken for him as he does not eat beef so they get us fish, they ask me to choose and I say salmon or cod. Food is fantastic.”

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.

Staff told they could access the information they needed to support people. Detailed handovers were carried out to ensure staff had the relevant information. A profession told us, “Staff are always proactive concerning referring people to the correct health professionals if required.” Another professional said, “[Registered manager] is always friendly, approachable, and professional and I have never had qualms about the home making essential referrals to other health professionals.”

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.

The registered manager attended weekly multidisciplinary meetings to discuss any concerns about people’s health. Staff understood people’s health conditions and how to support people to remain healthy. A relative told us, “The physiotherapist came and tried different ways to help with [family members] sleep and left the photos. Staff enlarged them and put them up on the wall behind the bed with notes to help the staff, it helps with [family members] breathing.”

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to drive continuous improvement. While most areas were managed effectively, some improvements were required in the completion and oversight of monitoring charts, such as fluid intake and repositioning records.

The registered manager confirmed these charts would now be checked daily to ensure targets identified in support plans were consistently met.

Other areas, including falls, infections, weights, and people’s observations, were monitored effectively. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of clinical policies and procedures and how these applied to daily operations within the service. One staff member told us, “We have a good understanding of our policies and procedures, including clinical processes and operations in the home. The manager listens to staff and always gives clear instructions about what she wants us to do. We have a monthly governance meeting for nurses.”

The registered manager told us how they supported staff development and clinical governance and said, “We access clinical updates for nurses’ continuing professional development. If we need any specific updates, we will resource this.”

The provider ensured people were informed about their rights regarding consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff had received training on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), which provides a legal framework for making decisions on behalf of individuals who may lack the mental capacity to do so themselves. Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the importance of seeking consent and supporting people in the least restrictive way possible. Care plans included detailed guidance on how to involve people in decision-making and ensure their preferences were considered.

One staff member told us, “The Mental Capacity Act ensures people can make their own decisions when able and protects those who cannot. I support choice by involving residents in decisions, respecting their preferences, and providing information they can understand.”

Where people lacked capacity, mental capacity assessments were completed, and best interest decisions were made in line with legal requirements. These processes involved the person, their representatives, and relevant professionals to ensure decisions were appropriate and person-centred.