Melwood Grange

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

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first inspection for this 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 told us they were consulted about their care and they valued this.

Care plans contained details of family members, the persons likes and dislikes and information about their lives before moving to the home. This facilitated staff getting to know the person as people and enabled them to provide care and support that was personal to them. Although all doors were the same colour, each one had a personalised picture or memento that had been chosen by the person. This helped people identify their own rooms.

A variety of activities were offered, allowing people to choose based on their preferences. Some feedback indicated that the variety of activities could be improved, as not everyone enjoyed quizzes or bingo. People expressed interest in having more active options. Cooking was popular among people and had been organized once since they moved into the home. One person enjoyed listening to the radio and staff told us this was important and they ensured it was done daily.

The provider demonstrated a clear understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and the wider local community. People were supported in ways that respected their choices and promoted continuity, with services tailored to reflect cultural, social, and personal preferences.

People benefitted from staff partnership working with commissioners, GPs and health professionals to ensure their needs were understood. A GP visited on a weekly basis to ensure people’s health needs were kept under review and people were referred to other professionals when needed.

The provider worked to ensure people received relevant information about their care, rights, and daily routines. There were regular residents’ meetings which took place, to gain people’s views on the service and have a say in how the home was run. People told us they would welcome more opportunities to discuss “niggles” but they felt the registered manager was available to help.

Staff communicated clearly and took time to explain things in a way that people could understand.

We did not see information presented in accessible formats however senior staff told us no one had communication needs. The service displayed an easy read and pictorial complaints poster in the communal areas

Signposting in the service was clear with pictures as well as words, for example, for bathrooms and toilets. Corridors were clear of obstacles, and the carpet was plain to better support people living with dementia.

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. Clear processes were in place to ensure that people’s views were actively sought and valued. There was evidence in people’s care plans that relatives were involved in the care planning and ongoing reviews of care, and there were clearly good communication and good relationships between relatives, people and the staff. Several staff were able to talk about people’s relatives with knowledge.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Staff supported people to access external services. These included healthcare services such as visiting podiatrists and community nursing/GP as well hairdressers. Family and people’s representatives were involved to support them if requested and senior staff told us they would make referrals for advocacy if required.

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. The provider had appropriate policies in place to ensure people were treated fairly and equally, and staff completed training to improve their understanding of equality and diversity. Staff supported people to maintain their choices and independence.

The provider was flexible with their approach and support to ensure people had an equity of experience. The staff worked with other professionals to make sure they understood and met people’s need and preferences.

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. Some people had end of life care plans in place which varied in content and detail. The registered manager told us they were continuing to work with people and their relatives to ensure all end-of-life plans were in place, some people had chosen not to discuss their end-of-life preferences, and this was respected and recorded.