Empress Social Care

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 efficiently.
This was the first inspection since the service was registered on 30 July 2020.
 

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. 
The registered manager told us the person-centred approach begins at assessment stage. A holistic overview of the person is captured which included whole life history, their upbringing, background and family history, their key medical details, likes, dislikes, hopes and goals.
Care plans were developed around the person and reflected the cultural, spiritual and communication needs of the people they supported. Empress supported people to take positive, informed risks within a framework of support to minimise risk. For example, a partially sighted person was supported to go clay pigeon shooting and on car driving experiences on a track, demonstrating that any disability is not a barrier to enjoying experiences that are of interest to them.
Empress offered flexibility to meet the needs of the people they supported and their families even at short notice.
 

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 registered manager told us care provision, integration and continuity was vital to the wellbeing of the people being supported. Many people prefered a set routine to enable them to plan their days and integrate things that they want to do, including activities during the day.
The team approach of having teams of staff who work with individual people on a regular basis are enabled to develop a positive professional relationship which supports consistency. New staff were introduced to people prior to shadowing more experienced staff to facilitate a smooth handover once the new staff member was fully up to speed with the person’s needs.
Staff rotas allowed for changes to people’s schedules by retaining additional capacity for flexibility. People had assigned named keyworkers who produced a monthly report for the person they were supporting. The report detailed key information over the month for example, any accomplishments achieved.
Staff told us how they supported people in the community and had the opportunity to meet other people to make friends. Additionally, people were enabled to attend groups and community events in the wider community.
 
 

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

The provider had implemented various systems and processes to ensure information was recorded, available and provided in a timely and effective way and why communication was key to keeping people safe. For example, if there was a change to a person’s wellbeing this would be shared via a group message to ensure it reached all relevant people at the same time and everyone knew about the change. Different communication channels were available to people who used the service, their families, professionals, and staff. Information was available in different formats, complying with the accessible standards information and meeting the requirement of general data protection register.
We noted that pictorials were used in information packs to help people who were unable to verbalise their wishes. Care plans and contracts were written in an accessible language for people who required it.
 

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, their families and staff told us they felt that they were listened to, their opinion and/or input mattered and they were ‘involved’ in all aspects of their care.

Staff told us a key function of communication was listening actively which was not limited to verbal communication but the observations of people who are nonverbal and what body language is telling us.

Where people were supported, along with families co-produce their own care and support plans and were encouraged to participate in developing their risk assessments.

We noted that people were asked to provide feedback on a regular basis to help identify any event and to actively learn from any accidents or incidents and to minimise the risk of these occurring again.

We saw that there was a complaints process in place, people were given information detailing how to raise concerns and what to expect for example timelines for a response and a resolution within 14 working days. Complaints were shared with the local authority and CQC.
 

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support, and treatment they needed when they needed it.
The provider told us they ensured equity in access for all people who used the service. The equity in access policy confirmed a commitment to equality, diversity, and human rights. We saw that all staff completed training on equality, diversity and human rights and refresher training every year.
Staff described various types of discrimination including ethnicity, religion, gender identity, culture, and other protected characteristics. Staff received information in relation to different cultures, values and religious festivals and it gave them a greater understanding about how to support people from different ethnic backgrounds with confidence and without prejudice.
Staff told us they were respectful of people ways and times of worshipping, and likewise, staff were supported and enabled to follow their faiths, to identify as they choose and to be protected from any prejudice or discrimination.
People were supported to access healthcare, work, and vocational opportunities in the community. People were provided with information about the benefits they were entitled to and assisted to apply for them if required.
 

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. 

Staff and leaders told us they monitored people’s experiences and outcomes to ensure there was no discrimination, and people achieved the best outcomes possible.
 

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 and supported to plan for future life changes. This included the development of ‘transition plans’ with people and their families to ensure that changes in support are planned, communicated, and that everyone is aware of what the transitional plan contains.
People were supported to make end of life plans including their care preferences, where they would want to be if they became seriously unwell. Plans also included treatment options for example would the person want intervention or not, any religious observations funeral preferences. We observed that staff approached this difficult subject as sensitively and respectfully as possible to minimise distress around this emotive area.
In relation to advanced business planning, we noted that Empress had future planning, contingency plans in place for a range of events. This included a covid and infections contingency plan, a disruption to service contingency plan and a business plan for the current stability, future progression, and expansion of the service. All these plans ensured that Empress would be able to continue to operate and able to continue to support people in the event of an unforeseen event.