Vincentian Care Plus

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 told us they were involved in having their needs assessed and compiling their care plans and risk assessments. People said their care and support were regularly reviewed and their care plans were updated if changes were needed. A member of staff told us, “Each client has a detailed care plan and a risk assessment, which is regularly updated. These documents help me understand the tasks required, any health risks, and how to deliver care safely and effectively.”

People using the service made comments such as, “I have a book [care plan] which is reviewed”. “We were given the file explaining everything.” and, “One of them [staff] came here and went through it [care plan].”

Staff told us people’s assessments covered all aspects of health and social care that may be required, including mental and physical health, as well as people’s individual and preferred methods of communication.

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 specific needs were clearly recorded within their care plans, which meant staff had accurate and up to date information to meet people’s needs. A member of staff told us, “I feel very confident. My training and experience have equipped me to handle a variety of care needs, including personal care, mobility support, and emotional wellbeing. I always follow guidelines and ask for help when needed.”

Staff completed appropriate training and had access to relevant policies, procedures and guidance. This supported them in their roles and helped ensure appropriate working practices were followed.

People and their representatives told us they could discuss their care and support with the staff and make adjustments where necessary. Staff supported people with their eating and drinking where required and respected people’s preferences and cultural needs, as well as their physical dietary needs. Staff also told us that people’s care plans contained information in respect of dietary needs, allergies and health conditions such as diabetes.

People told us they were happy with the way staff supported them with their food and made comments such as, “Sometimes they do my breakfast. They do it how I like it” and, “Sometimes they will make a sandwich. I ask them and they do what they should do.”

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 communicated effectively with each other, as well as other health and social care services, to promote continuity and make sure any changes in people’s health were identified quickly and responded to.

A person’s representative told us the service worked well with other care providers, to ensure consistency of support for their relative.

A healthcare professional told us, “Vincentian Care Plus (VCP) have always been a very responsive agency and will heed our advice.” They told us there were monthly monitoring meetings, which helped mitigate risks and resolve informal complaints by joint working. They also told us the service dealt with complaints and safeguarding investigations and worked well with colleagues from other teams.

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.

A member of staff proudly explained how the service had been working in partnership with the local authority and another partner in social care and housing. Together, they had launcheda chair-based movement programme, which was tailored to individuals with limited mobility.

The staff member explained, “This innovative pilot project aims to support independence, reduce hospitalisations, and enhance both physical and mental wellbeing through in-home, progressive exercises.” They said that, overall, the project promoted sustainable healthy living through simple lifestyle adjustments, such as better nutrition and hydration.

People told us they were supported to access healthcare professionals when needed. A person told us, “They [staff] have rung an ambulance for me in the past.”

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.

Senior staff carried out regular quality assurance spot checks. These helped make sure the care and support people received was safe and being carried out to a good standard. Staff also told us there was regular information sharing throughout the service to help make sure people’s needs continued to be met the way they wanted and needed.

People and their representatives told us they were regularly asked for feedback and could usually talk to someone in the office at any time. People said they felt comfortable and able to speak up if they had any concerns about anything.

Staff explained how they monitored some people’s intake of food and drink and supported them to have a variety of meal choices, particularly if they lacked cognitive awareness about nutrition and healthy eating.

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

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and said they had completed training in this area. Records we looked at also confirmed this. Staff described situations where they had needed to act in people’s best interests and they understood the need to offer choice and wait for permission before providing support.

People told us staff were always respectful and asked for their consent before doing anything. A person’s representative told us, “They do ask. When they wash [name] they say, ‘Will you allow us to do this?’” Another representative said staff had a ‘good manner’ and told us, “They always allow [name] to say first, then they go ahead.”