Care Quality Services Potter’s Court

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 assessment 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 and relatives we spoke with were positive about staff. One person said, “My carers (staff) all seem aware of my condition, and they respond accordingly to it. If any changes are required, then [the registered manager] sees to it for me.” Adjustments to people’s calls were made where possible when their requirements had changed. One staff member told us, “If mobility changed and they might need equipment I would also put it in my notes and tell the manager.”
Care plans contained guidance for staff around personalised approaches when supporting people around risk management, cultural, religious and spiritual needs to enable them to deliver person-centred care. Staff we spoke with were clear about putting people at the centre of everything they do and making sure there was enough information about the person available to support them how they would like. This ensured people were able to receive personalised care.
 

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 told us they experienced good continuity of care in relation to staffing, with some relatives saying they would not be happy to lose the regular staff. Staff had regular people they supported and knew them well. People and relatives confirmed this. The provider worked with professionals in the community and personal carers to co-ordinate services to meet people’s needs. This helped to promote a consistent approach to the delivery of care.
People told us there was good continuity of care with staffing. People and relatives confirmed they had regular staff who knew people well. However, some people and relatives said they would like to meet new staff before they started delivering their care. The registered manager told us shadowing was in place for staff and could be increased if new staff needed it to help address this. The provider monitored call times for punctuality and duration.
The provider worked with professionals in the community and personal carers to co-ordinate services to meet people’s needs. This helped to promote a consistent approach to the delivery of care.
 

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.
People’s communication needs were assessed and documented in their care plans. The registered manager understood the importance of meeting people’s communication needs.
Staff knew how to support people with varying communication needs. This included people with a visual impairment, hearing impairment and those recovering from a stroke with poor speech. Giving them time, speaking clearly and knowing their preferred way to communicate was important. This helped to ensure people’s communication needs were met.
Staff also knew the importance of keeping personal information confidential, with one staff member telling us, “We don't share information with residents or other staff, just the manager and the [person].”
 

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.

The provider had a complaints policy in place which documented how people’s complaints and concerns would be investigated and responded to. The provider responded to feedback from reviews including their “Voice of the customer” surveys. People were able to make complaints through email or telephone, although some preferred going through the staff supporting them. One staff member told us it was important to, “Listen to them (people), take their concern seriously.” Most people and relatives said they did not have any complaints. Some people were concerned about how long it took for the office to answer the phone. The registered manager said they would make sure people and relatives had the correct telephone numbers to improve this.
The provider shared the outcome from complaints with staff through online messaging, supervision and team meetings. This included ensuring staff reported when people’s medicines were running low. This helped to promote learning and positive changes in line with people’s feedback.
 

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.
The provider had equality and diversity policies in place. Staff completed equality and diversity training, which helped to ensure they understood the potential barriers to accessing care people may face and how they could be supported to overcome them. Staff we spoke with understood the need for aids and adaptations to support people’s independence. One staff member told us people used various different mobility aids. This helped to ensure people could access care and support when they needed, promoting equality and protecting their rights. The provider had an out of hours on-call system to support staff and people when needed.
 

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.
There were policies and procedures in place to help identify people at risk of experiencing discrimination or inequality. Care plans and assessment processes reflected these factors had been taken into consideration in the planning and delivery of care. This helped to ensure people’s care and support promoted equality and protects their rights.
 

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.
There was no-one receiving end of life care at the time of the inspection. Where relevant, people would have end of life care plans in place. Care plans would document any advanced arrangements and specific preferences around their care. Staff did not currently receive end of life training, which would be beneficial if they were to support people with end-of-life care.