Newgencaregroup (Dorset)

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 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’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People were supported to have consistent and effective care by staff and leaders. The provider had pre-admission assessment procedures to understand people’s needs and ensure they were able to meet them. People’s needs were comprehensively assessed and included consideration of their physical and mental health, sensory, social and communication needs. Assessments were regularly reviewed and updated to make sure the information was current, and care and support was meeting people’s needs and individual outcomes as expected. People and their relatives were involved in care planning and regular reviews.

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 evidence-based care and support. The service demonstrated an understanding of how to translate guidance into practical care within people’s own homes. Staff completed a range of training to understand about best practice and meeting people’s needs. The registered manager met with staff to discuss guidance and legislation. Staff confirmed they had the training they needed to support individuals with different and complex needs and to keep people safe while supporting them. Staff told us they were well informed and could ask for extra direction and support when needed.

Where people required support with specific health needs, staff followed agreed approaches and sought guidance when necessary. This helped ensure care was delivered consistently and reduced the risk of avoidable harm. Staff met these needs in line with recommendations from professionals and good practice guidance.

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.

Staff worked well together to provide personalised care to people. Information sharing systems supported communication between care workers and the office team, ensuring changes to care were shared promptly. This was particularly important in a domiciliary setting where staff work independently during visits.

The provider worked with external professionals, such as district nurses or social care professionals, when required. This supported joined‑up care and ensured concerns about people’s health or wellbeing were escalated appropriately.

Comments from staff included, “We are provided with care plans, risk assessments, and training to help keep people safe while supporting them” and “The managers are supportive, understanding and available whenever guidance or assistance is needed. Staff work well together.”

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

Staff told us they supported people to manage their health and wellbeing as part of day‑to‑day care visits. They encouraged people to maintain independence and supported routines that promoted physical and emotional wellbeing. Staff supported people to stay active and mobile when this was safe for them to do so. Staff ensured people had access to drinks and helped them to prepare meals of their choice.

Staff were aware of changes in people’s conditions and acted appropriately when concerns arose. Staff understood their role in supporting people to access healthcare services where needed. Concerns were escalated to managers or health professionals in a timely way, supporting good outcomes.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

The provider monitored people’s care through reviews, audits and feedback. Care plans were reviewed to ensure outcomes continued to meet people’s needs. Care plans were in electronic format, staff had access to them on their smartphones. This meant any changes in people’s needs were shared immediately and staff were kept up to date with new information about people they cared for. Feedback from people and relatives was used to evaluate the effectiveness of care and inform improvements.

There were systems for staff to monitor people’s wellbeing. Staff recorded about the care they provided each day and any concerns with the person’s wellbeing. Management oversight supported continuous improvement and helped ensure care delivery remained consistent across the service.

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

Consent was sought from people and where necessary in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Decision making was supported by clear policies and processes. The registered manager understood the principles of the MCA and staff training for MCA helped ensure people’s rights were respected. When people were able to, they had signed consent to their care. For people who lacked the mental capacity to understand and decide about their care, the provider liaised with their legal representatives and relatives to make decisions in their best interests. Where appropriate, relatives had been involved in decisions made on the person’s behalf. Care was planned in the persons best interest, in the least restrictive way and in consultation with the person and those important to them. Staff understood the importance of consent in domiciliary care and sought consent before providing care during visits.