Rapid Improvement Care Agency

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 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.

People, and others important to them, had been actively involved in assessments of their personal care needs which the managers conducted prior to anyone’s receiving a supported living or home care service from this provider. These assessment considered people’s personal, social and health care needs, and expressed wishes and preferences which were used to develop individualised packages of care. A member of staff told us, “Peoples care plans are detailed enough and ensure we have all the guidance we require to meet people’s needs safely and appropriately.”

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 received care and support from staff according to their individually assessed personal, social and health care needs and wishes. Managers and staff worked-well together to review and update peoples care plans. Staff understood each person’s individual needs and how these should be met. People had positive behaviour support [PBS] plans in place which ensured staff had access to all the relevant information and guidance they needed to prevent or appropriately manage incidents where people might become distressed.

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.

Systems were in place to make sure information was shared in a timely manner by everyone involved in people’s care. This all helped to ensure a joined up, consistent approach to delivering safe and effective care to people in line with their individually assessed needs and preferences. A staff member told us, “We work really well together as a team.”

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

Managers and staff assessed and planned for people’s health care needs. People with a learning disability had a personalised health care action plan and a Hospital Passport. A Hospital passport is an important document for people with learning disabilities so health and medical care professionals can make reasonable adjustments and understand how to communicate and treat poles health care needs more effectively. Staff were aware how to follow people’s agreed health care routines including, those related to moving and transferring and prevention falls, eating and drinking, and skin integrity care. A community-based care professional told us, “They [staff] ensure that my client’s health needs are met in a timely manner.” Staff described strong teamwork and clear communication processes. They consulted effectively with each other and with the office-based managers and supervisors, as well as external health and social care professionals and bodies when needed. Systems were in place to make sure information was shared in a timely manner by everyone involved in people’s packages of care. For example, staff consistently handed over important information between care staff to ensure everyone remained up to date with peoples changing care needs and wishes.

The provider did not always routinely monitor people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They did not always ensure that outcomes were positive and consistent, or that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

However, the provider did not always routinely analyse the outcome of audits and checks they regularly conducted to identify performance shortfalls and learn lessons. This meant the quality and safety of the service they provided people was not consistently monitored or lessons routinely learnt so they could continuously improve.

The provider routinely undertake audits and monitoring checks. However, the provider did not always routinely analyse the outcome of audits and checks they regularly conducted to identify performance shortfalls and learn lessons. This meant the quality and safety of the service they provided people was not consistently monitored or lessons routinely learnt so they could continuously improve.

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

The provider was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People were supported to understand the care and support staff provided them. This enabled people to consent to this if they wished. Managers and staff understood people’s capacity to make decisions about their care and support using people’s preferred method of communication.