Wisteria Care

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 were supported to have consistent and effective care by staff and leaders. The provider had care needs assessment procedures to understand people’s needs and ensure they were able to meet them. People’s needs were comprehensively assessed and included consideration of their physical and mental health, sensory, social and communication needs. Tools were used to effectively support the assessment of people’s health and care needs, and those were used by staff with the right understanding and skills.

Assessments were regularly reviewed and updated to make sure information was current, and care and support was meeting people’s needs and individual outcomes as expected.

People and their relatives told us they were involved in care planning and regular reviews.

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.

People’s care plans were developed holistically and included information and guidance from other professionals. Best practice guidance in relation to people’s specific support needs was understood and followed by staff. Staff recognised and responded promptly and adequately to people’s changing needs. Comments included, “When [family member's] feet were swollen, they suggested I contact the doctor for them to have a look. They arranged the district nurse to attend” and “Staff always check [family member’s] skin for redness. They apply cream on legs and body and will mention if I need to get the doctor or a nurse.”

The provider used recognised tools to assess people’s needs. Appropriate referrals to external services such as physiotherapy, dietitian or the community mental health team were made in a timely manner to make sure people’s needs were met. Staff told us how they monitored people’s nutrition and hydration where required, to manage specific risks to their well-being. People were supported to achieve optimum nutrition and hydration, and their care plans outlined individual food and drink preferences. Systems were in place to monitor people's nutritional intake and weight, and risks associated with dehydration and malnutrition. Care plans identified the level of support people needed from staff to prevent malnutrition and dehydration, and any specific diets or food allergies.

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.

Staff worked collaboratively with other professionals such as district nurses, GPs, social workers and therapy teams to ensure people received well-co-ordinated care which met their needs. The provider shared people’s care documentation with other professionals when needed and ensured any changes were communicated to staff.

We received positive feedback from all 3 health and social care professionals about collaborative working. Comments included, “Staff work collaboratively with health and social care professionals in weekly multidisciplinary meetings and demonstrate a focus on enabling people to do as much as possible for themselves, rather than creating dependency on services” and “The team at Wisteria keep the health teams up to date with any changes and concerns, they also seek advice and guidance at the appropriate times.”

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 told us they supported people to manage their health and wellbeing as part of day‑to‑day care visits. They encouraged people to maintain independence and supported routines that promoted physical and emotional wellbeing. Staff supported people to stay active and mobile when this was safe for them to do so. Staff ensured people had access to drinks and helped them to prepare meals of their choice.

Staff were aware of changes in people’s conditions and acted appropriately when concerns arose. Concerns were escalated to managers or health professionals in a timely way, supporting good outcomes. Staff understood their role in supporting people to access healthcare services where needed. People and their relatives confirmed staff were very good at noticing health issues that required medical attention. One relative told us, “They are also very accommodating. If we have to change visit times due to a hospital appointment, they just change the times to suit us.”

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.

Staff monitored people's health and welfare and reported any concerns to the management team. Where needed, a member of the management team would make referrals to health care professionals. The manager told us they worked very closely with people, their relatives and health and social care professionals to ensure positive outcomes for them. Regular reviews were undertaken to ensure the focus was always on meeting people’s changing needs.

The provider took a holistic approach to outcomes and focused on supporting people to meet their communication and social goals. This gave people the opportunity to engage with the local community if they wished as well as meeting physical outcomes. A staff member told us, “People are generally given choices about their routines, meals, activities and how they spend their time. Community access is also encouraged, where appropriate, and people are supported to participate in activities that are meaningful to them.”

The provider actively sought feedback from health and social care professionals and stakeholders as appropriate when monitoring individual outcomes. Health and social care professionals we contacted confirmed this. Comments included, “We consider Wisteria Care to be a provider that delivers good outcomes for people, promotes independence, works effectively with partner organisations, and is committed to continuous improvement.”

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

Consent was sought from people and where necessary in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Decision making was supported by clear policies and processes. The manager understood the principles of the MCA and staff training for MCA helped ensure people’s rights were respected. When people were able to, they had signed consent to their care. For people who lacked the mental capacity to understand and decide about their care, the provider liaised with their legal representatives and relatives to make decisions in their best interests. Where appropriate, relatives had been involved in decisions made on the person’s behalf. Care was planned in the person’s best interest, in the least restrictive way and in consultation with the person and those important to them.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of seeking consent and described how they involved people in decisions about their care and support. Feedback we received confirmed good practice, with people feeling included in decisions about their care. When asked, people confirmed consent was always sort. People said staff respected their choices and preferences and supported them to make decisions about their day-to-day lives.