Hazel Villa

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

We looked at all quality statements for Responsive at this assessment. The service was responsive.

People’s care, treatment and support promoted equality, removed barriers and protected their rights. The service met people’s individualised and preferences, supporting their autonomy, independence and involvement in the community. People were listened to and were involved in the life of the service and had equal access to social and leisure opportunities.

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.

People’s care and support was planned and delivered in an individualised or personalised way and therefore people’s health, social, emotional and psychological needs were consistently and properly met.

There was oversight from the point of admission, and continued observation and proper review of a person’s needs to inform delivery of care tailored to the individual.

People’s care plans held relevant and important personalised information to guide staff. Staff were aware of people’s individual needs and social histories which helped them to understand the person and deliver the right care and support.

We saw people supported in an individualised way, taking part in activities chosen by the person, either independently or accompanied by staff.

The service understood people’s diverse health and care needs. Care was joined up, flexible and supported individual choice, continuity and opportunity. A relative told us, “[My relative] manages better with developed routines – what we call workdays and activities. They like to go out and about, but this is work in progress. When out in the community they need to know their way around, to reduce anxieties. For example, they had not been into Colchester town before, but staff built their trust and provided the right support to access the community safely. They have now been to town, mini golf and swimming.”

Leaders promoted a personalised and diverse culture. The provider said their aim was for “people to blend into society without being judged”. The registered manager delivered and co-ordinated services people needed and considered their needs and preferences, including those with protected characteristics and those at most risk of a poorer experience of care.

Professionals told us that management and staff worked tirelessly to ensure people received the right care that is co-ordinated and responsive to their diverse health needs. Important health care was delivered to one person because their diverse needs were understood and respected by staff, their was co-ordinated well between the service, the GP and the community support team.

Care plans were personalised and they adequately showed how staff responded to individuals differing needs in terms of strengths, abilities, interests, social activities and meaningful interventions.

People received information in a timely way that met best practice standards, legal requirements and was tailored to individual need. A relative told us, “I do feel the management and staff are open / transparent with me. I get a weekly update about [My relative], which tells me how they have been, what they have been doing, about their health etc. [My relative] and I speak regularly, but they still send me the update which I think is good and helpful. I am involved in discussions about [My relative’s] care.” Another relative told us, “I get weekly updates about [My relative] by email. Unless [My relative] asks them not to.”

People using the service coul access information in regular written formats. Staff told us they could provide information in easy read, large print or pictorial format if required.

Hospital passports were in place for people which held very good detail about the person’s support and health needs, preferences and how they communicated. A passport is a personal document that provides important information a person wants to share with healthcare professionals about their disability, long term health condition, mental health issue or learning disability, how they communicate and any reasonable adjustments they may need.

People and their relatives told us they knew how to raise a complaint if they needed to, they were confident their concerns would be taken seriously and explored thoroughly. One relative told us, “They (managers/staff) have got used to me now asking questions on [My relatives] behalf, however [My relative] is now finding their voice to speak up for themself and staff do listen to them.” Another relative told us, “I know I can contact the home if I have a problem, or concerned about something, I usually contact support workers, but I can speak with [the provider or registered manager] if I need to. They are all obtainable to speak with if I need to. Not really had to raise any concerns, other than the heating, in [My relative’s] room, I raised this, and it was dealt with straight away. They got a plumber in, and it’s all sorted now.

Staff felt the leaders and management of Hazel Villa were open, transparent and approachable. One staff member told us, “Changes here have really had an impact on the quality of life for people living here. They are aware of the staff structure and know who to go to for support when they need it and they know they will get the right support they need from management, team leaders and support workers.” Another staff member told us, “Staff morale is very good. We are a good team, we all get on well together, no one is worried about raising concerns, everyone is approachable. This in turn has had a positive impact on people’s quality of life.”

There was a systematic review of concerns and complaints that drove improvement in service delivery.

Everyone could access the care, support and treatment they need when they needed it. However, one relative told us there was difficulty in accessing a local NHS dentist since their relative moved to the service, but understood this was a national difficulty.

Leaders and staff supported people to access the care, treatment and support they needed.

Professionals confirmed that the provider had a good understanding of discrimination and inequality and that they gave people the right support to access care and overcome barriers.

People had hospital passports that provided relevant and detailed information to inform healthcare professionals about how a person expresses their anxiety and how their needs impact on their everyday living, including the type and level of support they needed which would help to improve their experiences if admitted to hospital.

People told us they were treated fairly and equally. They were empowered to share their views, experiences and understand their rights. Experiences of discrimination and inequality were listened to and acted on to improve care.

The service had an open and listening culture. Leaders and staff were alert to discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage people living at Hazel Villa. They understood the importance of promoting equality and human rights and supported people to access the community and have the same opportunities any person would expect.

The provider had systems in place to check if people’s life and experiences of living in the home could be improved upon in any way. Various forums gave people the opportunity to share their experiences and actions were taken to improve outcomes for them. Care, support and treatment were tailored in response to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience and outcomes.

At the time of our inspection, no one was nearing the end of his or her life.

Leadership and staff told us that at the time of our visit no one was nearing the end of their life and all but one person living at the service were young adults. They knew that they would have to address planning for the future for the older person.

People’s decisions and what mattered to them were delivered through personalised care plans which were reviewed and revised regularly. However, the service needed to address advanced care planning to enable a person to make choices about future care, including planning for the end stages of life.