Stratford Bentley Care Centre

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 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’s care plans contained information personalised to the care and support needs and preferences of each person. Staff knew people well and had a good rapport with them. One staff member told us, “All our residents have different needs, and we adapt to those needs. If you know their background, you can help them feel more comfortable.”

One person had very recently expressed some anxieties and concerns. The registered manager was meeting with the person and their relative to develop a plan to promote the person’s wellbeing during periods of distress.

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.

Staff worked with other health and social care professionals to ensure people received joined up care, thereby promoting positive outcomes. For example, an advance nurse practitioner from the local GP surgery visited the home every week. This provided continuity of care from a healthcare professional who had to time to develop a comprehensive understanding of people’s clinical needs.

Healthcare professionals told us staff knowledge of people supported integrated care. One healthcare professional commented, “The staff always have time to go through the resident's needs and difficulties when I visit and for feedback at the end of the session. On referrals they always have the correct information regarding past recommendations. If I have needed to review a resident either by telephone or face to face, they have been able to give a good report of how they have been managing since my initial assessment.” Another healthcare professional told us, “The nurses at Stratford Bentley are always keen for our input and will follow the instructions left by our team unless they feel a different approach is needed. If this is the case, we work together to ensure that the best plan of care/treatment is implemented.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information.

People’s sensory needs were assessed to ensure they had the right equipment in place to support communication and their understanding of information. Care plans informed staff when people needed spectacles for reading or where they needed aids to support their hearing. Where people needed information in a different format, for example larger print, this had been arranged.

During our visit we saw staff responding to people and communicating effectively with them. For example, the registered manager sat with a person to clarify anticipated timescales around their treatment plan. The registered manager sat on the same level as the person and took their time to ensure the person understood the information being shared.

Stratford Bentley had closed circuit TV (CCTV) externally and in communal areas of the home. There was signage outside the home to inform people about the CCTV system, but limited signage inside the home. We recommended to the provider more accessible signage inside the home to provide reminders about the CCTV to people and their visitors.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support.

People were supported to talk about their care and treatment at Stratford Bentley Care Centre. One person told us, “I am able to understand all staff when they speak to me, and they take time to listen to me. It is easy to discuss things with the staff.” One relative told us, “We jointly make decisions regarding [Name’s] care with the home.” Another relative explained, “I am familiar with [Name’s] care plan and we visit it often.”

People, relatives and external healthcare professionals were encouraged to provide feedback about the home through meetings and quality questionnaires. The registered manager reviewed responses to identify what was going well and areas where improvements could be made. For example, because of feedback, the provider had introduced a monthly newsletter, so everyone was informed of events in the home.

The registered manager was a visible presence and able to address any concerns people raised with them. The provider’s complaints process was shared with people when they moved to Stratford Bentley Care Centre and available in the entrance to the home. The provider had not received any formal complaints in the 6 months prior to our inspection visit. People told us they had no concerns or complaints about the care they received.

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

Staff identified any barriers to people’s access to care and treatment and where possible, implemented reasonable adjustments or made alternative arrangements. For example, where people had equipment to support their mobility, adaptive transport was arranged for people to access appointments outside the home. Arrangements had been made for some people to attend a local dentist who had wheelchair access to their surgery.

Care plans included information and health advice about people’s health conditions. Clinical staff understood how to access specialist support when this was required and had developed good links with other healthcare professionals. One healthcare professional told us staff were responsive to any changes in people’s needs to ensure they received medical support when they needed it.

Stratford Bentley Care Centre was on 1 level which meant people could easily access all areas of the home and the inner open-air courtyard. Where people had issues around their mobility, there was a range of equipment to support people to move around the home safely.

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.

People at risk of inequality due to their disabilities received tailored support to maintain their safety and support their emotional and social wellbeing. For example, the provider had purchased specialist chairs for people who had risks around their use of wheelchairs. This meant they could sit with others and be safely included in events taking place in communal areas of the home. This had particularly benefited those people who had previously been cared for in bed due to concerns about their safety.

Staff received mandatory training in equality and diversity. The registered manager carried out dignity audits and observations to ensure staff were meeting people’s preferences and wishes and promoting their human 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.

People were encouraged to discuss how they wanted to be supported when their health deteriorated. This included where they wanted to be cared for, what level of treatment they were happy with and what they would like to happen in an emergency situation.

Care plans described the clinical and emotional support people needed when they became very unwell and moved towards the end of their life. Staff worked with other healthcare professionals such as the palliative care team and hospice nurses to ensure people were kept comfortable and lived their final days as they wished to. An external healthcare professional told us, “I find the team responsive to resident deterioration and the plans that are put in place to ensure that the resident either recovers or is kept comfortable in the terminal phase of their life. The staff always act professionally and display tremendous compassion towards the residents they care for.”