Royal Court Care Home

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• 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 newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 were at the centre of their care and treatment choices, and they worked in partnership with people, to decide how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Relatives described care as individual and familiar, with one relative saying, “The staff are brilliant. We have a joke with them, and they know [Name] and us well.”

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.

The new manager had introduced new shift patterns to improve continuity of care, as people were supported by fewer staff during the day. This reduced the number of handovers and helped ensure important information was shared consistently. The arrangement also supported stronger relationships between staff and people using the service, enabling staff to develop a better understanding of people's needs and preferences. Leaders told us the change had also helped improve staffing consistency and reduce reliance on agency staff.

The provider supported continuity through family involvement and communication about changes in people’s health. Relatives said staff kept them informed following medical visits and contacted them when concerns arose. One relative told us, “They let me know if the doctor has been, and any changes in anything.”

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

People and their relatives received information about changes in care and could approach staff with questions. Relatives said staff kept them up to date, answered queries and communicated when they had concerns. The provider had also introduced displayed and printed menus and was working to improve communication with residents and relatives. One relative said, “We can always approach staff if we have any queries, and our questions are answered.”

The manager had a positive approach to feedback from people and their relatives. However, systems to promote effective feedback and actions taken were not fully in place.

The provider held meetings where people and relatives requested changes, but records did not demonstrate that actions had consistently been completed or communicated back to them. The manager planned to record how actions agreed at each meeting would be reviewed and evidenced at the following meeting. They had introduced a kitchen feedback book to record people’s meal preferences. Relatives said they felt able to approach staff and seek reassurance, but the available records did not yet demonstrate a consistently effective feedback and complaints system.

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

People had access to support 24 hours a day. The manager used a dependency tool to help assess staffing levels and ensure these reflected people’s changing needs and the overall needs of the service. The service used bank staff to provide continuity of care, and the manager personally supported care delivery or catering duties when required to ensure people’s needs continued to be met.

Relatives spoke positively about the support provided by staff and described effective working relationships with health and social care professionals. They told us staff supported people to attend hospital appointments, responded appropriately to changes in people's health needs, and worked with external professionals to help achieve positive outcomes. Relatives also said staff kept them informed about their family member’s wellbeing and any significant events, helping them feel involved and reassured about the care being provided.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. This meant people’s care was tailored in response to this.

The service supported a diverse group of people, including older people and those living with dementia, sensory impairments, and physical disabilities. Staff demonstrated an understanding of people's individual needs and preferences, and relatives provided positive feedback about the care and support people received. The provider sought to deliver person-centred care that reflected people's assessed needs and circumstances. Feedback and records showed people were supported in a way that promoted their wellbeing, independence, and inclusion.

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.

Care records contained end-of-life care plans, recorded people's preferences, and ReSPECTdocumentation. ReSPECT documentation provides guidance regarding people's preferences and agreed clinical recommendations for emergency care and treatment

These records reflected efforts to understand and document people's wishes for their future care. The manager acknowledged there were further opportunities to strengthen recording of how people and their relatives were involved in planning and reviewing decisions about important future changes.