Seymour House-Northwood

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.

The last rating for this key question was good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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 information within assessments and care plans did not always reflect personal preferences or how people’s needs should be met. Some staff told us they did not feel it was their role to know about people’s past or what they had done before they lived at the service. Lack of personalised information and staff resistance to find out about individual people contributed to a culture of task-based care. The registered manager told us they provided training and guidance for staff to help develop person-centred practice.

The registered manager met with people and their relatives to assess their needs before they moved to the service and to identify whether they could meet these needs. Relatives told us they had been consulted as part of initial assessments.

Staff undertook a range of training to help them understand about best practice and evidence-based care. They told us this training was useful and had included information about caring for people living with dementia. The registered manager organised monthly staff meetings which included additional learning workshops. Staff were asked to present their learning to others and discuss a particular topic. Recent discussions included the Mental Capacity Act 2005, end of life care and confidentiality. People using the service and their relatives told us they thought staff were well trained.

People’s nutrition and hydration needs were met in line with good practice guidance. Staff, including catering staff, had training to understand about special diets. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink. People told us they liked the food and were able to have snacks or drinks whenever they wanted. Their comments included, “Staff give me a choice and change things if I do not like it” and “Food is pretty good.” Staff monitored changes in people’s weight, as well as food and fluid intake. They liaised with external healthcare professionals when they identified someone needed additional support.

Staff worked well together and had clear systems for communication. There were regular team meetings and daily hand overs of information. Staff worked well with external health and social care professionals who supported people.

Staff supported people with their healthcare needs. A community matron supported the service offering advice, guidance, healthcare support and a link with other professionals. They contacted the care home every day and visited weekly. Staff discussed people’s healthcare needs with them. They made referrals to other services when needed.

People told us they were able to see doctors and other professionals when needed. They were happy with the support they had.

Staff monitored people’s wellbeing and support. When people were unwell, or there was a change in their conditions, managers increased monitoring to make sure they received medical support if needed.

People, or their legal representatives, were asked to consent to their care and treatment. Managers had assessed people’s mental capacity to make different decisions. When people lacked capacity, the provider had liaised with their families and other professionals to help make decisions in their best interests.