GoodOaks Homecare

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 person-centred and individualised to them. Information such as, important family members, pets and hobbies were included in care records to enable staff to understand and support people holistically. When asked, a staff member told us, “Person-centred care means putting the individual at the heart of everything I do, respecting their choices, preferences, and values, and supporting them in a way that suits their unique needs. It’s about treating each person as an individual, not just focusing on their care tasks, but also on what matters most to them in their daily life.”
 

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. People were supported by a range of health and social care professionals who worked with them to provide staff with guidance to follow. Instructions were clearly documented in people’s care records. A social care professional told us about how they and the registered manager worked collaboratively when reviewing concerns about a person. They said, “The manager has responded to the concern in the correct way to support the customer and will liaise with me to ensure that the customer is safe and risks are managed. I would say that the manager responds to concerns promptly and takes action to resolve issues when they are identified.” People were supported by a consistent team of care staff, staff had enough time to spend with people and enough travel time, people told us staff were rarely late but would call ahead if there were any issues.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. The registered manager followed the provider’s Accessible Information Standards policy and told us documents could be made available in formats to suit people’s needs. They provided information in larger print for a person and visited them weekly to help them read through their mail and schedule appointments. People’s communication needs were documented in their care records, people’s use of glasses or hearing aids were included in care plans to guide staff on how to support them. A staff member told us about a person they supported and said, “[Person] sometimes likes me to read to them a book. I sit and read with them.”

The provider 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. Annual surveys were distributed to people and their relatives to formally gain their views on the service, results were analysed, summarised and an action plan was formulated to address comments made. There was a high satisfaction rate although all comments were taken seriously. Some people provided feedback that they would like to have more consistent staff, this was listened to and addressed, all people we spoke with told us they had a consistent team of staff who supported them. The registered manager held a complaints log, complaints were investigated and addressed when required. A relative told us of a recent complaint they had made and said, “I was really impressed by how quickly they [registered manager] acted and the seriousness they took of the situation. I found them very professional.” The registered manager also shared compliments they had received from people and relatives; cards were on the notice board for staff to read.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People and their relatives were able to contact the service when needed through the on-call system. The provider had recently moved their offices to a ground floor space to allow people to access the offices if they wished. The registered manager told us they opened the office on a Saturday each month so people and staff could visit formally or informally for a chat. Where people were unable to visit the office, the registered manager visited them at home to hold discussions and meetings. A relative told us about their experience of the responsiveness of the service and said, “When [person] was poorly last year they very quickly put in extra care. This happened the same day and I was happy with that.”

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. The registered manager and staff worked to speak up for people and overcome barriers to care and support. The registered manager told us about how they liaised with an occupational therapist for a person. They said, “[Person] was hoisted from bed to chair and chair to bed, that was their life. We got occupational therapists in and worked closely with them to get [person] a ramp and a motorised wheelchair so they have the opportunity to go out if they want.” A staff member told us how they overcame language barriers with a person and said, “We learn from our clients. We learn their preferences and wishes. We try to build a good working relationship. We had [person] that didn't speak English, their [relative] taught us some words to communicate with them. We also used signs to help communicate.” The nominated individual had arranged for ‘Whzan boxes’ to be delivered to the service, the boxes contained equipment to help staff identify early signs of health deterioration in people, this has been known to be effective for people living with dementia. The nominated individual had arranged for staff to receive training on how to use the equipment and planned to strategically place the boxes with trained staff in the community.

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 nominated individual told us they did not take on new packages of care when someone was at the end of their lives, they shared plans of additional training for staff to enable this to be done in the future. However, the service continued to care for people throughout their journey and where people’s health needs increased, they undertook reviews and sought support from relevant health care professionals. The registered manager held sensitive conversations with people, their relatives and professionals. A relative told us, “Yes, we have done the ReSPECT form and [person] has opted for treatment and not to be resuscitated.”