Alexandra Court Residential Home

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Good. At this assessment the rating has remained Good.

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’s needs were assessed before they moved into the service to help ensure these could be safely met. Care plans and risk assessments reflected people’s individual needs, preferences, and daily routines, and provided clear guidance for staff on how people wished to be supported. Records showed that care plans were reviewed and updated when people’s needs changed. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s health and wellbeing needs and explained how information was shared through handovers and daily records to maintain continuity of care. One person told us, “I have a care plan and they discussed it with me.”

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 and, where appropriate, their relatives were involved in care planning to ensure preferences, wishes and life histories were understood and reflected. Records showed care plans were regularly reviewed and updated when people’s needs changed. For example, one person who had previously required support from two staff had received physiotherapy, and their care records demonstrated improved mobility and a reduced level of support.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and were able to describe how care was provided in line with individual preferences. This reflected the information recorded in care plans and what people told us.

Nationally recognised tools were used to monitor people’s health needs. For example, people were weighed regularly and the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) was used to support monitoring and maintain oversight of risks associated with weight and nutrition.

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.

Referrals were made for people to other health and social care professionals when needed. The evidence reviewed in care plans showed healthcare professionals were contacted in a timely manner when needed. A professional visitor said, “Staff have a good knowledge and relationship with their residents. They advocate for them appropriately to ensure they have received good medical care.” Conversations with staff informed us that they had good knowledge of the needs of the people they were caring for. A visiting professional said, “I regularly visit the service and feel the standard of care is excellent. The residents are treated with dignity and compassion. The staff are exceptional, always professional, attentive and always go that extra mile.”

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.

People were able to access healthcare support when required, and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of how they monitored, recorded, and responded to people's health needs. People were supported to maintain their health and wellbeing through ongoing observation, routine healthcare monitoring, and timely access to external healthcare professionals where necessary. We saw evidence of a person who was supported to access private dental care which enabled them to receive the support they required to eat, drink and support their well being.

Records showed that changes in people's health were recognised promptly and appropriate action was taken to address concerns. One person told us, “I have had difficulties in the past with my health, but the staff team have always responded quickly when that has happened.”

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.

Care plans contained clear and person-centred outcomes relating to maintaining safe mobility, promoting independence, and reducing the risk of pressure damage. Risks had been assessed, and appropriate guidance was in place to support staff in providing consistent and safe care.

Daily records demonstrated ongoing monitoring of skin integrity, nutrition, hydration, mobility, and overall wellbeing. These records showed that staff remained attentive to the person's changing needs and took appropriate action where required. Documentation reviewed demonstrated a proactive approach to care planning and ongoing assessment, helping to promote positive outcomes and maintain the person's health, wellbeing, and quality of life.

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

Staff had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and demonstrated a strong understanding of their responsibilities. They were able to clearly explain how they supported people to make their own decisions by offering meaningful choices and respecting their rights to make decisions about their daily lives.

It was evident that people were encouraged and supported to make day-to-day choices about their lives, including when they got up and went to bed, the clothes they wore, the meals they ate, and how they chose to spend their time.

Mental capacity assessments had been completed where required to ensure people received appropriate support in making decisions and providing consent to their care and treatment. Staff demonstrated an understanding of the importance of assessing capacity on a decision-specific basis and ensuring that people were involved in decisions to the greatest extent possible.