Starline 2000

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 registered manager assessed people’s needs to ensure these could be met. One relative told us, “Yes the manager did visit us, and viewed my (loved one’s) needs and the service they needed from the agency”. Another relative said, “The manager came and visited us, and we discussed my (loved one’s) care needs and got a contract before the service commenced”. The assessments looked at people’s medical conditions, physical and mental health, mobility, nutrition, choice, and people’s home environment. Where appropriate, people and their relatives were involved in this assessment. This information was used as a basis for developing personalised care plans.

The provider planned and delivered evidence-based care to people. The provider sought support from doctor, home enteral nutrition (HEN) team consisting of the dietitians, nutrition nurse specialists, and Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) and occupational therapist (OT). People’s dietary needs were met in accordance with their individual needs. Care workers told us how they supported people to eat and drink to meet their needs.

The registered manager worked well with external health and social care professionals to support people for example, commissioners, GP and district nurse. The registered manager held meetings with care workers to discuss areas such as any changes in people’s needs and coordination with health and social care professionals.

The registered manager and care workers supported people to manage their health and wellbeing if required. People’s healthcare needs were recorded in their care plans along with any support required from care workers in relation to their needs. People’s care records reflected contact details of healthcare professionals for example, speech and language therapist, community nurse, GP, and hospitals.

The registered manager and care workers monitored people’s health and wellbeing. Care workers told us they would notify the registered manager if people’s needs changed and if they required the input of an external professional for example, home enteral nutrition (HEN) team consisting of the dietitians, nutrition nurse specialists, and speech and language therapists (SALT), and occupational therapist.

At our last inspection the provider had failed to work within the principles of the MCA. This was a breach of Regulation 11. At this inspection, we found the provider had made the required improvement and there was no longer a breach of Regulation 11.

People provided consented before staff supported them. One relative told us, “The carers always ask my loved one’s consent before they do any task and they always talk to them through each stage of the task, checking that my loved one understands.” Another relative said, “Yes the carers do ask my loved one for their consent before doing anything, explaining what they will be and are doing.”

We found where some people had been assessed as not having capacity to understand and make this decision, decisions made in their best interests were not always documented in their care and support records. In response to our feedback the provider made improvements straight away. The registered manager demonstrated best practice around assessing mental capacity, supporting decision-making and best interest decision-making. Care workers knew about people's capacity to make decisions through verbal or nonverbal means. Records confirmed capacity assessments had been completed and people and those important to them were involved as appropriate.