Heathercroft

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, and others important to them, had been actively involved in assessments of their needs which the managers conducted prior to anyone’s admission to the care home. The assessment considered people’s personal, social and health care needs, and expressed wishes and preferences which were used to develop individualised packages of care. Managers demonstrated good awareness of their role to thoroughly assess the needs of prospective new people and act as responsible ‘gatekeepers’ for the care home. The team leader told us a number of prospective new people had recently been declined a placement at the care home because their assessed needs were not compatible with the people already living there.

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 received their care and support from staff according to their individually assessed needs and wishes. Their care plans were detailed and routinely reviewed and updated. Managers and staff worked well together to meet people’s needs and wishes in line with their care plan and recognised best care practice and standards. Staff understood each person’s needs and how these should be met. A staff member told us, “Each person we support has their own unique care plan which, so we know exactly how to meet people’s needs and keep them happy and safe. These care plans are sufficiently detailed and easy to access and follow.” The team leader added, “We use planning tools to identify areas of life that are important to people we support, set goals and develop care plans to ensure these outcomes are achieved.” Staff undertook a range of training based on good practice principles and legislation.

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.

People were supported by managers and staff who worked well-together and with external health and social care professionals and bodies. Systems were in place to make sure information was shared in a timely manner by everyone involved in people’s care. This all helped to ensure a joined up, consistent approach to delivering safe and effective care to people in line with their individually assessed needs and preferences.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control. The service supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support.

Managers and staff assessed and planned for each person’s health care needs which included a personalised health care action plan and a Hospital Passport. Staff knew when people were unwell or in pain and ensured they routinely attended scheduled medical and hospital appointments. Staff worked well with a range of external health care and medical professionals and followed any advice they gave to enable people to live healthier lives. The team leader told us when 1 person’s mobility needs had significantly changed, they had worked closely with a range of external health care professionals to get the individual a new more suitable wheelchair and adapted the care home by installing ramps and a ceiling track hoist to enable them to continue safely living in the care home and accessing the garden and the wider community. Staff were also aware how to follow people’s agreed health care routines including, those related to nutrition and hydration. For example, staff followed the advice of speech and language therapists and provided texture modified foods to reduce the risk of people choking where this was appropriate.

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.

People experienced positive outcomes from the care and support they received from staff. People’s care and support was regularly reviewed to ensure this was meeting their assessed needs and expected outcomes. Systems were in place to monitor the care and support provided to people to ensure this remained effective.

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

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People were supported to understand the care and support staff provided them. This enabled people to consent to this if they wished. Managers and staff understood people’s capacity to make decisions about their care and support using people’s preferred method of communication.