Highfield House Residential Care Home

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.

Managers 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 were at the heart of everything the service did. People and their relatives spoke positively about being actively involved in care planning. Care plans were detailed, reflecting individual needs and preferences. Staff had a strong understanding of person-centred care, and this was observed throughout our visits. One staff member told us, "Everyone's different."

Staff and managers showed a clear understanding of people’s changing needs and responded promptly and efficiently to ensure care remained appropriate and relevant. One relative told us, “Originally, [person] was upstairs but as her mobility declined, she was moved downstairs, and this has made access in and out of her room so much easier."

People were supported to make choices in all aspects of their daily lives, and staff consistently respected people’s rights to make decisions, including the freedom for people to change their minds. One person told us, “‘I wash my own hair; I go to the hairdresser when I need it”.

Staff and mangers promoted a genuine person led culture, where people were encouraged and supported to express their views, maintain their interests and engage in activities meaningful to them. This meant that people received highly individualised care that respected their preferences and evolving needs.

Managers 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 were supported to develop the necessary skills to meet people’s needs, including receiving training from district nurses to safely manage diabetes and administer insulin. This ensured that people received timely care from staff who felt confident in their roles.

There was a clear commitment to continuity of care, with the service not using agency staff. One relative told us, "Care team is settled, there are same staff around which is better for the residents."

Communication systems were effective, with clear handovers of information between staff, people, professionals and relatives. One staff member told us, “Handover is good. Managers tell staff about what is going on at the home" and "We are one team". This meant people received consistent care from staff that knew them well.

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

Signage was displayed throughout the home to support orientation and independence. Communication needs were detailed in people’s care plans, ensuring staff had clear guidance on how to share information with people. Staff spoke about not overloading people with information which helped them make decisions. People were provided with newsletters and activities timetables helping them to stay informed about what was happening within the service. Meeting minutes were available in an ‘easy read’ format and in large print. This meant people were supported to make informed choices.

Managers 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.

There were regular opportunities for people to provide feedback, including at residents’ meetings. Key workers held monthly reviews with people, providing further opportunities for providing feedback. There were also regular satisfaction surveys, with results and actions shared appropriately.

People told us they felt comfortable to share their views. One person said, “We have a monthly meeting. If there’s anything we’re concerned about there’s no problem about mentioning it. They [staff] go out of their way to please you.” Relatives were also positive about their ability to share their views and felt involved in the service. One relative told us, "There are resident and relatives’ meetings where we can discuss feedback" and another said, "There is a relative’s group too."

Managers had a system in place to receive and act on complaints. We saw evidence of complaints being addressed. This meant feedback was continuously used to drive improvements promoting trust and confidence for people within the service.

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

People were supported to access healthcare appointments in a timely way. One person told us, “Senior staff are very good” and discussed a situation when they needed help arranging an appointment for a new condition and this was dealt with well.

The environment was accessible to people with a range of mobility needs, and suitable equipment was provided to support individual requirements. There were clear protocols in place to guide staff in emergencies, ensuring that responses were prompt and consistent. This meant people’s wellbeing was promoted by ensuring their needs were met in a timely way.

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. One staff member told us, "I try to come up with activities for everyone to be involved.” They also discussed individual needs and adjustments made for people such as offering activities on more of a 1:1 basis. Staff received equality and diversity training and held open discussions with people about personal relationships which challenged stereotypes and discrimination. This meant that equity was embedded in practice, ensuring people were treated fairly, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds, promoting inclusion across the service.

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. At the time of our assessment no one was receiving end of life care.

Advanced care planning processes were in place and people had end of life care plans. Staff had received training in palliative and end of life care. Last year the provider received a platinum Gold Standards Framework (GSF) award for their end-of-life care. This was the highest level of accreditation awarded nationally demonstrating sustained excellence in palliative and end-of-life care. This meant that people’s future care needs were considered in advance, ensuring they would receive appropriate, and respectful support in the future.