Highwood Care 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. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. 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 had care and support plans that were personalised, holistic, strengths-based and reflected their needs and aspirations, including their physical and mental health needs.

Care plans reflected a good understanding of people’s needs, including relevant assessments of people’s communication support and sensory needs.

Staff confirmed people’s assessments, care plans and risk assessments were up to date. Staff understood people’s current care and support needs.

Assessments considered people’s overall health, well-being, and communication needs.

Staff ensured people had up-to-date care and support assessments, including medical, psychological, functional, communication, preferences, and skills.

Care plans set out current needs and promoted strategies to enhance independence.

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 confirmed their care, and support was delivered in the way they wanted by well trained staff.

People’s specific nutrition and hydration needs were met in line with current guidance.

Staff confirmed they had received accredited training to ensure they could provide people with individualised care and support in line with evidence-based good practice.

The provider’s systems ensured staff were up to date with national legislation, evidence-based good practice and required standards.

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 confirmed that staff recognised when they were unwell and contacted health professionals in a timely manner.

Staff knew how to respond to specific health and social care needs. They spoke confidently about the care they delivered and understood how this contributed to people’s health and wellbeing. For example, how people preferred to be supported with personal care.

Staff said people’s care plans and risk assessments helped them to provide appropriate care and support on a consistent basis. For example, recognising changes in a person’s physical health.

Health and social care professionals confirmed the service worked alongside them to ensure people’s care and support needs were met.

People were supported to see appropriate health and social care professionals when they needed, to meet their healthcare needs. For example, GP and community nurse. Records demonstrated how staff recognised changes in people’s needs and ensured other health and social care professionals were involved to encourage health promotion.

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 confirmed they were encouraged and supported to maintain their health and well-being.

People were involved in regularly monitoring their health, including health assessments and checks. Where appropriate, with health and care professionals’ involvement.

People’s care plans and risk assessments were detailed. Staff told us they found the care plans and risk assessments helpful and were able to refer to them at times when they recognised changes in a person’s physical or mental health. Daily notes showed care plans were followed.

Regular reviews took place to ensure people’s current and changing needs were being met.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured outcomes were positive and consistent, and they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

People felt valued by staff who showed genuine interest in their well-being and quality of life.

Staff adopted a strong and visible personalised approach in how they worked with people. Staff spoke of the importance of empowering people to be involved in their day to day lives. They explained it was important people were at the heart of planning their care and support needs.

The service focused on identifying risks to people’s health and wellbeing early and on how to support people to prevent deterioration.

There were effective approaches to monitor people’s care and treatment and their outcomes alongside health and social care professionals. This meant continuous improvements were made to people’s care and treatment.

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

People were empowered to make their own decisions about their care and support.

Staff knew about people’s capacity to make decisions through verbal or non-verbal means, and this was well documented.

Staff demonstrated best practice around assessing mental capacity, supporting decision-making and best interest decision-making.

For people that the service assessed as lacking mental capacity for certain decisions, staff clearly recorded mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions.