Saint Andrews Limited Also known as Home Instead Oxford

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 79 (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.

The provider worked closely with people, their families and relevant health and social care professionals to develop a comprehensive understanding of each person's needs, preferences and support requirements. For example, 1 person required the use of specialist moving and handling equipment. As part of the assessment process, the provider met with the person's occupational therapist to gain a detailed understanding of the individual's needs and the equipment required to support them safely. This helped to ensure appropriate care arrangements were in place from the outset and staff were able to support the person in a safe and effective manner, in line with professional guidance and best practice.

Care plans contained information on a wide range of needs such as health conditions, communication requirements, medicines management and food and nutrition. This ensured staff had comprehensive and accessible information to provide safe, effective, and personalised care.

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 provider delivered care and treatment in line with current evidence‑based practice, supported by the knowledge and leadership of the management team. Whilst nationally recognised tools such as the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and the Waterlow tool for assessing pressure damage risk were not formally used, the risks associated with malnutrition and pressure damage were effectively identified, assessed, and managed.

Staff received training relevant to their roles, which supported them to provide care in line with current best practice. The management team monitored practice through regular audits and spot checks which ensured standards were maintained and areas for improvement were identified.

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.

Established communication processes, including email updates and electronic care records, enabled important information about people's care and support needs to be shared promptly. This helped promote continuity of care, maintain people's safety and ensure staff had access to the most up-to-date information.

Staff told us they were regularly informed when people's needs changed or when updated guidance had been received from health or social care professionals. One staff member told us, "We have a group email sent out which contains updates. For example, we had an update to say a piece of equipment was not being used anymore." These communication systems helped ensure staff remained informed about changes to people's care and were able to provide support in line with current needs and professional guidance.

Care records contained evidence of partnership working, with external professionals, to ensure people received timely and coordinated care. People’s relatives were involved in their care where appropriate, and care records showed staff worked well people’s relatives and informal carers. Staff described effective teamwork and positive collaborative working with health and social care professionals to help ensure people's needs were met.

The provider always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

Staff consistently promoted all aspects of people's wellbeing, including physical health, nutrition, emotional wellbeing and social inclusion. Support was highly personalised and based on a detailed understanding of each person's individual needs, preferences and goals. This helped ensure approaches to maintaining and improving health were meaningful, achievable and sustainable for the people receiving support.

The management team spoke passionately about the importance of adopting a holistic approach to care, focusing not only on completing care tasks but also on promoting people's overall health, independence and quality of life. For example, 1 person had a goal of losing weight so they could regain the ability to drive. Staff supported the person to achieve this by developing a meal plan and encouraging and supporting them to go for a daily walk. As a result, the person successfully met their weight-loss goal and was able to start driving again, increasing their independence and wellbeing.

Records demonstrated the positive impact the service had on people's health and wellbeing over time. One person began using the service with lower levels of support; however, as their needs increased, the provider worked flexibly to increase the frequency of care visits to ensure their changing needs continued to be met. A relative described the significant improvements they had observed since the introduction of care. The relative also reported improvements in the person's nutrition and hydration, which they attributed to the consistent support, encouragement and monitoring provided by staff.

Another person required support following an operation. In addition to meeting their immediate care needs, staff focused on supporting the person's rehabilitation and recovery, encouraging them to regain their strength, mobility and independence. Through consistent support, encouragement and a person-centred approach, the person's health and wellbeing improved over time. As their recovery progressed, they became increasingly independent and eventually no longer required care and support from the service. The person told the provider the support they received from staff had played an important role in their rehabilitation and in helping them achieve a healthier and more independent life.

Staff consistently provided practical examples of how they promoted people's health and wellbeing in their day-to-day roles. One staff member told us, "When preparing meals, I make sure they have a balanced diet and have access to fluids. We have someone at the moment who is struggling to walk, so we are encouraging [person] to be as active as possible." Another member of staff said, "I try and encourage everyone to go for a walk, whether that's round the house, round the garden or round the block. I automatically pour them a glass of water and leave it next to them, and most people will drink it if it's left for them."

The provider had developed a 'What's On When' (WOW) guide, which was distributed to people using the service. The guide contained information about local exercise classes, including details of any associated costs and contact information. This meant people had easy access to opportunities within their local community and were supported to participate in activities that promoted their physical health, strength and overall wellbeing.

The provider had also developed a 'Stay Well at Home' magazine, which was distributed to people using the service. The magazine contained information on the importance of food,nutrition and hydration, together with practical advice on how to maintain a balanced diet and support overall health. This provided people with accessible information to help them make informed choices about their wellbeing and demonstrated the provider's commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles.

These initiatives demonstrated a proactive and person-centred approach to supporting people to maintain and improve their health and wellbeing, while encouraging independence and community involvement.

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.

The provider had effective systems in place to monitor, review, and improve outcomes for people. There were clear evidence people’s needs were regularly reviewed, as part of scheduled yearly reviews, and in response to a change in needs.

The provider responded promptly and effectively when people’s needs changed. One relative told us, “The staff are always responsive to [person’s] care needs, keenly observing any change in [their] general health and well-being.” Another relative told us, “The carers are well trained and more than capable of providing for more demanding care needs. [Person] used to be able to care for themselves in lots of ways, but this is becoming more difficult. The carers have brought this to my attention as well as realising it myself. This, to me shows that they are attentive and effective in the way they have noticed a gradual deterioration over recent weeks.”

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

The service worked in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) to ensure people were supported to make decisions about their care wherever possible. Where people may have lacked the mental capacity to consent to specific aspects of their care, appropriate mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions had been completed. These showed staff had made reasonable and practical attempts to explain care and treatment, sought consent in accessible ways, and clearly recorded people’s responses.

Staff understood the importance of gaining consent before supporting people. Staff had received MCA training.