Heron Lea Residential Home

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

This means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. People, and their relatives where appropriate, were involved in making decisions about their care and support. Care plans clearly documented people’s views about their care. Staff knew people well, including those recently admitted to the service. They were able to tell us individual details about people’s health and care needs and preferences. Staff were patient when trying to establish what was causing a person to be upset or confused.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. People were supported to access healthcare appointments, for both routine and specialist services. One health care professional was reviewing a person who used the service. Their needs were complex. The professional told us, ‘[Person] settled into here very well and is not an easy patient. We have had no concerns. Communication is good with the service always.’ The provider had worked hard to improve relationships with the local health and social care community. They told us they did this to ensure people were able to make the correct health and care choices for themselves.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. Information was shared using plain language, visual tools, and involving family members where appropriate. There was good signage around the service to help guide those people living with dementia. People and their relatives told us they felt informed about their care choices.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. People were given a forum to raise any concerns or make suggestions. One of the people who used the service acted as a resident representative or advocate. They had demonstrated they wished to be more involved in the service and a specific role had been created for them. There was also a relative representative who supported other relatives with informal advice. People who used the service and relatives had the opportunity to share formal feedback twice a year via a survey. These surveys were acted upon and where issues had been raised these had been considered and appropriate action taken.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. The service made referrals to other health professionals to ensure adaptations and equipment were sourced to help meet people’s needs. The environment had been adapted to support equitable access, including the availability of a lift, handrails and gently sloping access to the garden area.

The provider advocated for people to ensure they had access to health and care services and leisure opportunities.The service was in a rural setting and it had been acknowledged by the provider that this made accessing services more challenging for some people. Plans were in place to further improve this for people.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Staff had completed training in equality, diversity and inclusion and demonstrated an understanding of the barriers people can face when trying to access services.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People were supported to plan for important life changes in ways that promoted dignity, informed decision-making, and personal choice.Care plans set out people’s wishes for their future clearly. Where appropriate, relatives and advocates were involved in making sure people’s wishes were fully documented.