Sleaford Manor 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

This means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated 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.

Staff worked in partnership with people to understand their needs and preferences and involved them in decisions about how their care was delivered.

Care plans reflected people’s wishes and how they wanted to be supported when decisions were made. For example, one care plan clearly described the importance of involving the person’s daughter in their care, noting this provided reassurance as the person preferred information to be shared with their daughter so they could discuss decisions together.

Staff understood people’s individual preferences and worked with them, their relatives and other professionals to respond to changes in their needs. Care plans were regularly reviewed and updated to ensure support remained appropriate and responsive.

Staff recognised the importance of working in partnership to respond to people’s needs in a coordinated way.

We saw evidence of how people benefited from joined-up care. For example, input from the physiotherapy team had led to improved mobility for one person, demonstrating how specialist support was used to achieve positive outcomes.

The provider also supported continuity of care for people who accessed respite regularly. People told us staff knew them well, remembered their needs and checked for any changes to ensure they received the right care each time they returned.

Staff adapted their approach to meet people’s changing needs, working with others to ensure care remained consistent and responsive.

People were provided with information in ways they could understand, supporting their involvement, choice and control over their care. The provider ensured people received appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats tailored to their individual needs. Staff had access to a range of tools to support people’s communication needs, including large print documents and the use of picture cards to aid understanding. This enabled staff to share information in ways that were accessible to individuals.

Staff also adapted how they presented information in day-to-day practice. For example, when offering meals, staff used a ‘show plate’ so people could see the options available, supporting them to make informed choices.

People told us they felt able to express their views and were confident their feedback would be listened to and acted upon.

There was evidence that feedback was taken seriously and used to improve the quality of care. For example, one person told us they had raised concerns about the quality of meals with both the provider and senior management within the organisation. They said these concerns were responded to, and they were now involved in regular discussions with the chef about meal choices. The person told us they had seen improvements and felt the chef was committed to providing a good service.

People also told us there had been a reduction in activities following the departure of an activities coordinator. Feedback indicated the provider had recognised this and was taking steps to improve provision, with people reporting activities were beginning to increase again.

Staff supported people to be involved in decisions about their care and kept them informed about any changes made as a result of feedback. People also described having positive and open relationships with the registered manager, which supported honest communication and ongoing engagement.

Staff responded promptly to people’s needs and took appropriate action when changes were identified.

People were supported to access additional healthcare services when required. We saw positive engagement with district nurses, and care records showed staff made timely referrals to specialist services. For example, where a person required input from the Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) team, this had been recognised and a referral was arranged.

This demonstrated how the leaders acted promptly to ensure people received the right care and treatment, helping to reduce delays and support positive outcomes.

People received personalised care that met their needs and reduced the risk of inequality in their experience or outcomes.

Staff and leaders demonstrated an understanding of people who may be more likely to experience inequality in their care and worked to tailor support to meet their individual needs.

Staff showed awareness of how people’s communication needs, health conditions and personal circumstances could impact on their experience of care. They adapted their approach accordingly, including using different methods of communication and taking time to support people to express themselves.

We saw evidence that staff recognised when people required additional support and took action to ensure their needs were met. For example, the registered manager identified that a person without family support may benefit from additional representation and suggested access to an advocacy service to help ensure their views were heard.

Care plans reflected individual needs and provided guidance on how to support people in a way that reduced the risk of unequal outcomes.

People were supported with sensitivity and compassion at the end of their lives, with care tailored to their individual preferences and needs.

People care plans included information about their preferences and wishes; however, some end of life care plans lacked detailed information. Staff told us that not everyone, including families, wished to have these discussions, and this was respected.

Staff had received training in end of life care and demonstrated a good understanding of how to support people during this time. They described providing care that focused on comfort, dignity and reducing pain, including ensuring people were peaceful, had familiar items around them and were supported by those important to them.

Staff explained how families were supported to stay with their relatives and how they worked with healthcare professionals to ensure appropriate care and treatment was in place.