Genuine Carers - Oxford City

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.

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 carried out thorough assessments to ensure people received effective care and treatment. People’s health, care, wellbeing and communication needs were identified before support began so the provider could be confident it was able to meet those needs safely.

People, and where appropriate their relatives, were actively involved in assessments and care planning. Information gathered during assessments was used to develop personalised care plans that clearly described how people wished their care and support to be delivered. One person told us, “The care plan was done with the management and me,” while another said, “They came out to the house to do the assessment.” This demonstrated that assessments and care plans were completed with people and reflected a person‑centred approach.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, taking into account what was important and mattered to them. Care and support were delivered in line with legislation and current evidence‑based good practice and standards.

The registered manager worked closely with healthcare professionals to ensure staff followed up‑to‑date guidance. This included joint working with district nurses, the speech and language therapy (SALT) team, learning disability physiotherapy and people’s GPs. A healthcare professional told us, “Care staff listened to the health professionals and acted on the advice provided. They are also working closely with the Learning Disability Physiotherapist on hoist transfers, which is a slow but progressive process. Care staff are integral to these transfers, which will enhance the client’s quality of life.”

Staff undertook a range of training relevant to their roles, and staff told us this helped them feel skilled, confident and well informed. Staff also described good teamwork and said they felt supported to seek advice and make referrals people to external health and social care professionals when people’s needs changed.

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 spoke about how they worked together to build respectful, supportive relationships with the people they cared for. They said they had access to personal histories, preferences and goals, which helped them to deliver care that was personalised, consistent and responsive to individual needs.

Staff described a culture of dignity, inclusion and mutual respect. They said they felt valued and supported by both colleagues and managers. One member of staff told us, “Management are co-operative and the whole team are nice and supportive. They will show you how to do things and help you if you need it” another staff member said” Its good its nice I am comfortable with the staff.” This demonstrated positive team working and a supportive organisational culture that helped staff provide high‑quality care.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing in ways that maximised their independence, choice and control. Staff encouraged people to live healthier lives and, where possible, reduce their future need for care and support.

Staff understood how to monitor people’s health and recognise when their needs were changing. They took appropriate action to seek additional support when required. One relative told us, “They got me to contact the District Nurse recently about a bed sore that they had found and thanks to them it is all healed now.” This demonstrated that staff recognised early signs of health issues and acted promptly to ensure people received the right care.

Staff followed professional guidance to support people manage both their physical and mental health needs. This included working closely with district nurses, GPs social workers and other community‑based professionals to promote positive health outcomes and maintain people’s wellbeing.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to support continuous improvement. Systems were in place to ensure outcomes were positive, consistent and met both clinical expectations and what mattered to people.

Care plans included clear information about people’s desired outcomes and how they wished to be supported to achieve them. Daily care notes were used to monitor people’s wellbeing and enabled staff to respond promptly when needs changed. Managers regularly reviewed records and liaised with staff to ensure appropriate action was taken when concerns or changes were identified.

The provider used a range of quality assurance methods, including telephone monitoring, home visits and surveys, to review people’s experiences and outcomes. Monthly audits of care records, regular check‑ins by senior staff and feedback from people and staff provided opportunities to identify areas for improvement. Where improvements were needed, actions were planned and reviewed to support better outcomes.

People and their relatives told us staff supported them to maintain their independence as much as possible. One relative said, “They encourage [person] to wash their face, use their hand as much as possible and use cutlery when [person] can.” This demonstrated that staff focused on monitoring progress and supporting people to achieve and maintain positive outcomes.

People were supported to give consent to their care and treatment wherever possible. People were involved in developing their own care plans, ensuring these reflected the care and support they wanted. Staff understood the importance of gaining valid consent and told us this was embedded in their day‑to‑day practice.

One person told us, “They always ask for my consent in everything actually.” This showed staff consistently sought people’s consent before providing care and respected their choices.

Staff demonstrated an understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and how these applied in practice. We reviewed one mental capacity assessment where the outcome was appropriate and in line with the MCA; however, the documentation did not clearly evidence the decision‑making process or rationale. This meant compliance with the MCA Code of Practice was not fully recorded at the time.

The provider updated the record promptly once this was raised, and there was no impact on the person’s care or rights. The registered manager and provider were aware of the MCA Code of Practice and understood how to support staff to uphold people’s human rights. This demonstrated a responsive approach to feedback and a commitment to improving recording practices.