Scarlet House

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has remained Good.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 82 (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 was exceptional at making 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.

Managers always made sure there were enough well-trained staff on every shift which meant staff had enough time to help people and meet their needs. Care and safety was maintained at a high standard as the service had enough staff on every unit.

Staff had considered a person’s wellbeing by allocating them a small unused room and turned it into an artist’s studio. This encouraged them to be creative again. The person was able to use the room whenever they wished, and this had a positive impact on their mental health. The person became less withdrawn, and they began to eat in the dining room.

One relative told us, “We were involved in helping to pick [relative’s] room, it’s now by the nurse’s station which is so much better for them.” Another said, “I helped to develop the care plan, and we prioritised reducing their hospital admissions, we want them to stay here if at all possible” and “The carers have really made mealtimes such a positive experience for [relative], they’re eating so much better now.”

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 had the care they needed as leaders, and staff had established good working relationships with different services. This meant people had continuity with their care and were seen by professionals who knew them. The service offered respite care for people and worked in partnership with families and professionals to re-assess people’s needs and respond flexibly if needed. One external professional told us, “If there is something staff need to do, they do it, but it's more of a focus around what each person's needs are and what they want.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats which were tailored to individual needs.

Before people moved in, staff ensured their room was personalised with their preferred paint colours, any personal furniture and items, to assist with the transition. People were also greeted by staff and spent time with the wellbeing co-ordinators who would start to establish their likes, dislikes and preferences.

The registered manager told us information could be provided for people in any format they needed. The provider had a marketing team who helped produce documents in various ways. People had been provided with booklets which had information about the service and what they could expect which they said was helpful to them.

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 had ‘resident meetings’ they attended where their views were listened to. Meeting minutes were kept and shared with people. One person told us they had raised at a meeting they wanted more quizzes. They said this had been listened to and quizzes were now part of the activity schedule. We also observed a quiz being held. Actions arising from ‘resident meetings’ were added to the providers continuous service improvement plan. This meant actions were allocated to unit managers, the deputy manager and the registered manager to complete and monitored until carried out.

The provider had a complaints policy which outlined how they would respond to any complaint including timescales. These were included in the welcome pack people received and an easy read version of the complaints process was available upon request.

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

The premises was purpose built with wide corridors and a lift for people to access ground and first floors. People had access to a garden from the ground floor, and some people had rooms which had their own doors onto outside space. People had their own bathrooms and use of communal shower or baths if they wished. Access to the secure courtyard garden was unrestricted.

The service had 2 wellbeing co-ordinators on each floor including on weekends.

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.

Leaders were experienced in providing care, were aware of ways in which people may face discrimination and took action to support people to get the services they needed. For example, if people had reduced mobility or dementia, staff worked together to consider how the person could engage in activities, outings and mealtimes without being discriminated against. The registered manager told us they went into the nearby town to find adequate parking for the minibus to ensure there were parking spots which could accommodate when people travelled in wheelchairs. The town was a historic small town with winding streets and was mostly situated on hills.

There was a daily head of department meeting which meant the management team could identify any issues in a timely way and take action to make sure people had what they needed.

People were given exceptional support to plan for important life changes, so they could make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

When any treatment was changed or withdrawn, professionals communicated and managed this openly and sensitively, so people had a comfortable and dignified death. End of life care plans were exceptionally detailed and descriptive, even detailing the exact location people would like their ashes scattered. People’s dignity was preserved during end of life by staff who were trained and provided comfort for people in a respectful way. One relative told us, "The staff are so caring, nothing is too much, they really go the extra mile. It's made the whole experience more meaningful."