Alexander House Care Home

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’s needs were assessed and care plans developed to make sure staff knew how to meet these needs in the way the person preferred. Assessments of needs and related care plans were reviewed on a monthly basis or whenever a person’s needs changed. Reviews considered the effectiveness of the care plan and, wherever possible, included the person concerned. Changes to people’s care plans were communicated to staff during handovers.

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.

Recognised clinical tools were used to assess people’s needs in areas including skin integrity and nutrition and care plans were developed in accordance with the results of the assessment tool. Advice and involvement of specialist health care professionals, for example the Parkinson’s disease nurse, was sought and incorporated into care plans.

People’s specific dietary needs and preferences were included in care plans, and the catering team were informed of these. People’s relatives told us about the good support staff provided in making sure people received good nutrition and hydration.

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’s relatives reported a smooth transition for their family into the service with the involvement of other health and social care professionals as appropriate. Care records demonstrated ongoing support from health care professionals as needed and the local authority gave us feedback about how the service worked collaboratively with them.

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 worked well with partners to promote people’s health and wellbeing. They maintained a good relationship with a multi-disciplinary community team known as QUEST for advice and support and also training in areas such as pressure care and sepsis.

A weekly telephone ‘ward round’ was completed with the involved GP to discuss people’s health status and needs.

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.

Care plans and risk assessments were reviewed regularly and robustly to make sure they were appropriate to people’s needs and to make sure they were effective in making sure people experienced the planned and desired outcomes. Wherever possible people were involved in this process to make sure their input was included in the care planning process.

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

Where people had Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards [DoLS] with requirements known as conditions in place, care plans had been developed to inform staff of what they needed to do to demonstrate that the conditions were being met. Care records included, where appropriate, details of the involvement of an advocate. Where Lasting Powers of Attorney [LPS] were in place this was clearly documented so that staff knew who to involve in planning people’s care and making decisions about their health and wellbeing.

Our observations and feedback from people confirmed staff were respectful of informing people about the care they needed to deliver and seeking their consent wherever possible.