Goldfinch Care Agency Private Limited

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• 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,treatmentand support achieved good outcomes and promoteda good qualityof life, based on best available evidence.At our last assessment we rated this key questionGood. At thisassessmentthe rating hasremainedgood.This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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,wellbeingand communication needs with them.

People’s needs were comprehensively assessedprior to care being delivered.Care plans were developed with people and included all assessed needs. These included, but were not limited to,information about what was important to the person, how best to support them, their lifehistoryand theirpsychological and health needs.

People and relatives told usthey wereinvolved in their care arrangements, and thiswas updated and reviewedregularlywith them.Onerelativesaid, “We were fully involved at the assessment and care plan parts.Their [family member]care is reviewedregularly and updated if things change. We havegreat communicationbetween us and the manager.”

Staff told us they had access to and had readpeople’s care plans prior to delivering care andwere always informed when people’s needs changed.One told us, “The care plan Isvery detailed.Everythingabout the person is in there, what I need to do and when, and I record everything I do on the app.We have a hard copy of the plan as well as the electronic one.”

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 evidence-based good practice and standards.

People and relatives told us they were fully involved in how their care was arranged and delivered. Theirviews weresoughtto ensure treatment was in line with their wishes and they told us staff providedgood qualitycare.Onerelativesaid, “The standard of care isveryhigh,and the carersare very well trained and good at their jobs.They understand the complexities of my [family members]care needs.”

A member of the management team was deployed as aqualifiedtraining lead.An online29 modular trainingcertificatewas completed by all stafftogether with amandatory6 day in house practical training programmeundertakenby the training lead. Thetraining room included a profiling bed, hoist,rotundaand a wheelchairto train staff onsafemanual handlingin line with good practice.A person said,“They are well trained in every aspect of my care, and I consider they are very effective in all the duties and tasks they carry out.”

Staff were supported and trained by professionals whenrequired. A staff member said, “If a new piece of equipment is supplied theoccupational therapist comes to the home and provides trainingto us.”

People had their risk of malnutrition and dehydration assessedandmonitoredwhenrequired.A staff member said,“Isupport1 clientandmonitorwhat they have eaten and drank.Ithenmustrecord this in detail on the app.”

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.

The service provided care and support to people nationally.Relationshipsandcommunications withagencies and professionalshad been developedwithin each person’s geographical areato ensure consistent andtimelyaccess and referrals to services were not delayed.

People’s care recordscontaineddetails ofalltherelevant health and social care services peopleweresupported by to enable staff tocontact them whenrequired.

Stafftold us they were supportedby managers. One said, “The managers are always there if I needthem. They always ask how I am, praise me for the work I do,and my workload is manageable.”

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence,choiceand control.One relative said,“[Family member]is happy withtheircare. It hasdefinitely improvedtheirquality of life.They aregoing out intheirwheelchair withthe carer now.We have only had24-hourcare for a fewmonths,but this has made a terrific improvement to their life.”

Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.They were knowledgeable about peoples’ health needs and how best to support them to stay as healthy as possible. One staff member explained how a change in1person’s behaviourindicatedthey may be unwell.

Care plans included how people chose to live their lives andhow they wished to be supported,for example, in relation to their choice of diet. A staff member said, “The client I support makes their own choices of what they consider to be a healthydiet,and I support them with that.”

The providermonitoredpeople’s care and treatment to ensure theiroutcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

People spoke positively about the outcomes they experienced from the care and support provided. One person told us, “I have been with the service 2.5years,and I amvery happywith the 24-hour live-in care. I consider them superb.” This feedbackdemonstratedpeople experiencedgood outcomeswhich met their needs and supported their wellbeing.

People and their relatives told us care arrangements were regularlymonitoredto ensure they remained effective. They confirmed they were actively involved in reviewing their care and discussing any changesrequired. This showed the service worked in partnership with people to assess whether care continued to achieve the desired outcomes.

A structured review process was in place from the start of care delivery and continued throughout people’s care journeys. We reviewed3care records and found regular reviews were undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of care and support. Where people’s needs changed, reviews were completed promptly outside of scheduledtimeframesto ensure careremained in line with people’s expected outcomes.

The provider ensured people were informed about their rights in relation to consent and these were respected when delivering person-centred care and treatment. People’s consent wassoughtprior to care being provided and this was upheld in practice.

Records showed consent was obtained and documented in line with good practice. Initial assessments and care plans were signed to confirm agreement. Where people were unable to provide consent, mental capacity assessments had been completed. These were decision-specific, detailed, and involved the person where possible, as well as those acting on their behalf or advocating for them. Thisdemonstratedthe provider was working in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Staffdemonstrateda good understanding of consent and their responsibilities in seeking it. They clearly described how they asked for people’s permission before delivering care and how they would respond if a person declined support. Staff were also aware of when to escalate concerns tomanagers.