The Cumberland

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 the same 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.

People were at the centre of their care and support. Relatives confirmed they had been involved in the development and review of their loved ones care plan and were kept informed of any changes in their loved ones health or needs.

Relatives told us they were always welcomed by staff when they visited and there were no restrictions on visiting times. A relative said, “Dad sees his wife and family all the time.” People’s care plans detailed their likes, dislikes, past occupations and former places the person had visited on holiday. The registered manager told us they used their laptop to sit with people and view what people were interested in for example, videos on wildlife. The registered manager told us that 1 person’s past occupation was a farmer, and they liked to watch anything on the laptop about planting and farming. Another person enjoyed looking at places where they had previously been on holiday.

People had a memory box in front of their bedrooms which contained samples of personal or treasured items from people's past. The service had a 'Person of the day' program in place, this was a program that celebrated the person. Staff spent time with the person and their relative to review their care and learn more about them.

Staff were able to recognise when people required support and responded promptly and appropriately. There was a consistent staff team in place providing consistency and continuity of care to people. The registered manager told us they no longer used agency staff to ensure people were supported by staff they knew.

Relatives told us that information was shared with them and their loved one in a way they understood. Comments included, “I can understand any relevant information” and “They (staff) will always explain things so we can understand.”

Information and documents had been provided to people in a variety of ways to meet their needs such as, larger print, pictorial, audio or another language. For example, the daily food menu and certain care documents.

Care records detailed information about how the person communicated their needs and wishes. Staff understood people specific communication needs and told us they also observed people’s body language and the non-verbal cues that people could display. People’s care records were stored securely and could only be accessed by people who had the authority to do so.

People and their relatives were able to share any concerns they had or to provide feedback at meetings and through an annual survey. Relatives told us they were confident that action would be taken if they did raise a concern. A relative said, “[Staff] keep me informed and will always listen to me if I have any concerns.” Another relative told us that their loved one’s care records were updated following their feedback.

Information about how to raise a concern or make a complaint had been displayed within the service. A formal complaints policy and procedure was in place and available to people. The registered manager told us they had an ‘open door’ policy, and any niggles were dealt with before they became a complaint. Any concerns or complaints were discussed during staff meetings to identify ‘lessons learnt’ and any changes that needed to be made to prevent a reoccurrence.

Relatives told us their loved one had access to everything they needed. People could access staff support when they needed it. We observed staff responding to people in a timely way. Staff supported people to access the external services they needed including access to activities, dementia support and the falls clinic.

Hospital passports were in place which recorded how people wanted and needed their care needs meet as well as how the person communicates. This was taken to any hospital appointments or admissions to ensure the person receiving the care from staff they required. This was also used to ensure effective communication between any external health professionals the person.

People were treated equally and had access to experiences no matter what their level of need was. Information about people’s protected characteristics had been included in their care plan. The activities coordinator had incorporated religious and cultural celebrations and festivals into the activities plan for the service.

Staff had been trained in equality and diversity and followed the providers policy and procedure. The registered manager told us this formed part of staff daily practice and said, “This is translated into the genuine care and respect the staff show in their interactions with people who live here.”

People and their relatives had been involved to make informed decisions about their future, for example, if their health declined or there was a medical emergency. Some people have chosen to implement a DNACPR (Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation). This is a decision to not perform CPR if the person had a cardiac arrest or died suddenly. Staff told us who had a DNACPR in place and who didn’t and that this was reviewed with the person and their families and recorded clearly on their care plans.

The registered manager told us and records showed that people and their relatives had been supported to express their wishes for care at the end of their life and beyond. People had advanced care plans in place which detailed where they would like to be cared for at the end of their life and any specific funeral requests such as, to remain in the service if they became unwell and to have a cremation.