Alpenbest South

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.

The provider 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’s care plans were generally personalised and showed people, their relatives and partners were involved in their care. Care plans included people’s wishes, preferences and social history. People’s goals were recorded in care plans, and the steps staff should take to support people to reach these. One person told us, “I have my care plan around here and I am happy with it.” A relative commented, “The pack is there in her home. It has all been handled and dealt with satisfactorily.”

Staff told us they had sufficient time to read people’s care plans and get to know them. A member of staff said, “People’s needs change all the time. We can look at the care plan. They’re always up to date.” Another member of staff commented, “We make sure that they (care plans) reflect what is happening and review them regularly.”

The provider 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 worked well with professionals who were involved in people’s care, and they understood their local community and how to support people to be involved. Staff encouraged people to engage with their local community and respected their wished when they chose not to. There was a generally consistent staff team which meant people were supported by staff who knew them well and there was continuity of care.

The registered manager shared numerous examples of how they had supported people by working with them and empowering them to be in control of their decisions. For example, they worked with the local authority where care packages needed to be changed to ensure people’s care was flexible to their needs at that time.

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

There were systems in place to provide documentation in various formats, such as large print, easy-read and on audio tape. The registered manager understood their responsibilities in relation to the Accessible Information Standard. The Accessible Information Standard sets out how providers and commissioners of NHS and publicly funded adult social care services should ensure disabled people and people with impairments or sensory loss can access and understand information.

The provider generally 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.

People and their relatives told us they felt listened to and were able to feed back on the care they received. They were aware of the complaints procedure and how to raise concerns with the service or externally. One person told us, “They responded very well [to person asking them to change a carer]. They took note of what I said.” A relative told us, “Nothing has ever happened that we were not happy with but if anything did need to be reported I do have a number to call. We have no complaints at this current time.”

People told us they felt listened to by their carer and field supervisors and were generally able to speak to management when they needed to. However, some people told us they had experienced difficulties in contacting the office. When we informed the registered manager, they told us they were already aware of some of the issues and had addressed it by upgrading the telephone system which included an improved answerphone system.

The registered manager undertook regular feedback surveys to hear people’s views. We saw action had been taken in response to surveys and the service analysed feedback to learn from it. Where complaints had been received, there was a procedure in place and the provider responded to complaints in line with their process.

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

People were supported to access services when they needed them. Where there were barriers to people’s care, staff worked with other organisations to resolve these. People were provided with support to ensure they had equal access to care and treatment. One relative told us, “There were a few problems when they handed over from the other agency, but it has all been sorted now and it is running smoothly. We are happy with this agency.”

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.

Staff understood their responsibility to be aware of discrimination and inequality which could have an impact on people accessing care and support. The registered manager demonstrated a detailed understanding of the challenges faced by different communities and how to support them effectively. A member of staff told us, “I think the training is one of the best bits of working here. The managers are always encouraging us to do it. It’s useful because we look after people who have all kinds of conditions.”

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.

The provider ensured people’s wishes were communicated with all relevant staff so people could be supported if their condition rapidly changed. One relative described how they felt their family member was safe and cared for in a compassionate way when staff provided end of life care, “Definitely [safe], they are a good company. Mum was looked after by them before she died early this year.” People’s care plans included relevant information where people had preferences in relation to care at the end of their life where they wished to discuss these.