Archived: Victoria House Nursing 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 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, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

People's needs were assessed before they moved into the service to make sure staff could provide the care and support they needed. These assessments considered how people wanted to be supported and any needs in relation to culture, religion or ethnicity. Care and support were reviewed on a regular basis.

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.

Care records were person-centred. People were being cared for in line with their assessed needs. Where people could not share their preferences themselves, family or advocates and other health and social care professionals were included in decisions.

Staff were aware of people’s specific dietary needs and how to meet them, for example people who were at risk of choking and needed a different consistency of food and thickened drink.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of national tools and what they are used for and their purpose, this included screening people for malnutrition, obesity, or the risk of pressure damage.

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 registered manager and staff worked in partnership with professionals such as doctors, district nurses and social workers to ensure people received the right support. Changes in people’s needs were discussed during daily flash meetings. These were informal briefing where senior staff such as carers, housekeeping, and nurses meet to share important information, address risks, and discuss people’s care needs. There was also a handover in between each shift. The electronic care planning system was updated to reflect people’s changing needs.

Staff told us they worked together and shared information to ensure people received effective care and treatment. Comments included, “We all work together for the sake of the resident’s wellbeing.”

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.

Staff worked closely with GPs, community health teams, and other professionals to ensure people received coordinated, consistent, and effective care. Health professional’s recommendations were embedded into people’s care and support plans and implemented by staff.

Staff supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. People’s nutritional needs and preferences were assessed and well understood by staff. Staff helped people access healthcare professionals promptly, and relatives described being informed quickly when concerns arise. People’s emotional wellbeing was supported through caring interactions, and staff showed empathy and patience.

A relative told us, “The food always looks lovely with plenty of vegetables. [Person] also has lots of fruit. [Person] eats a much better diet than they did at home.”

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.

Quality assurance processes included regular audits of medication, infection control, care records and the environment, with action plans implemented promptly.

Staff recorded information that was essential for the monitoring of people’s health and well-being. This included food and fluid intake, people’s weight, to ensure there were no significant changes, and repositioning to reduce the risk of skin damage. These observations and records enabled staff and the management team to take timely action where there were changes to people’s health or well-being. Care plans were then updated to ensure support was provided that met people’s current needs. A staff member told us, “We check [people’s] weight weekly and document intake and output. We fortify meals and refer people to the dietician if needed.”

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

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In [care homes/hospitals], this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service.

We found people were involved in decisions about their care, and where they lacked capacity to make these, relatives and those close to them helped staff make best interest decisions on their behalf.

Staff told us they had received training on the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). A staff member said, “I have completed MCA and DoLS training. Putting the MCA into practice requires adopting a person centred culture that presumes capacity, supports decision making, and acts in the best interests of the residents lacking capacity.”