Archived: Willow Court

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 71 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People’s needs were assessed before they moved into the service and information was gathered from them and their relatives to support a safe transition. Relatives confirmed they had been involved in the initial assessment process. One relative said, “We did one when [my relative] moved in. We have not had a review.” This showed that while assessments were completed when people arrived, reviews had not always taken place as planned. However, the provider had a plan in place to complete the outstanding reviews. Assessments covered people’s health needs and personal preferences and were used to create individual care plans. Staff understood people’s needs and used the information in assessments to provide effective day-to-day support.

Staff delivered care in line with recognised good practice and up to date guidance. Care plans reflected people’s assessed needs and included information based on clinical recommendations. Staff described how they used guidance such as pressure area care principles and safe moving and handling techniques to support people effectively. Records showed staff sought advice from health professionals when people’s needs changed and incorporated this guidance into people’s daily support. These approaches helped ensure care was consistent.

Staff worked well together to support people and communicated effectively during handovers. We saw staff sharing information and coordinating care to make sure people received timely support. Records showed staff understood their roles and responsibilities and worked together to meet people’s needs. Staff told us they felt supported by colleagues and described good team work across the service. These approaches helped ensure care was consistent and well organised.

Staff supported people to maintain good health and monitored changes in their wellbeing. Records showed regular contact with health professionals, and staff sought advice promptly when people became unwell. Relatives told us staff were attentive to signs of illness. One relative said, “If there is an infection brewing, they are good at picking it up.” The provider paid privately for support from an occupational therapist and fitness coach who helped people maintain mobility and confidence through tailored exercise and activity sessions. Care plans included information to support hydration, nutrition, mobility and long-term conditions and staff encouraged people to make choices that supported their wellbeing.

The service monitored people’s progress and used this information to improve care. Staff recorded changes in people’s health and wellbeing and shared this during handovers and meetings. Care plans were updated when needs changed and staff worked with external professionals to support positive outcomes. Records showed regular checks and audits were carried out with learning from these used to develop practice. These systems helped ensure people received effective care that met their needs.

Staff understood the principles of consent and mostly sought agreement from people or their representatives before providing care. Records showed consent arrangements were documented and staff explained choices in a way people could understand. Relatives told us they were contacted when important decisions were needed. One relative said, “Yes, they always ring me to ask if it is OK for [family member] to have any vaccinations.” Staff knew when to involve families or professionals if a person was unable to make a decision and worked in line with mental capacity requirements. Overall, staff worked in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). However, weidentified1occasion where the principles of the MCA were not fully applied, and further improvement was required to ensure that a decision made on behalf of a person was completed in their best interests. We discussed this with the manager and staff during the inspection, and they began reviewing the decision to ensure it was carried out in accordance with best practice.