Third Hand Care Also known as Third Hand Care

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 initial and on-going assessments. Their comments included, “We had a new assessment at the beginning of the year”, “Yes, they came and talked with us and asked what I wanted. Like they asked what time I wanted, and I said 9am would be good and that’s what they do, and they are usually on time” and “At the beginning someone from the agency did come out and asked me what I wanted.”

The registered manager said they ensured each person was assessed so they would know their needs before providing care. They told us, “We have an initial assessment for basic information, to see if we can meet the person’s needs. After that, when we have the information, we start the package. We have a 72-hour review where the person’s needs are reviewed, in case they have additional needs. We can then put the package together.”

Initial assessments were comprehensive and clear covering all aspects of the person and the care they required. Care plans were developed from the initial assessment.

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 were involved in developing their care plans. One person told us, “I do have a copy of the care plan and I am involved in any discussions about my care.”

Care plans were personalised to people’s individual needs and provided guidance to ensure their care was effective. The registered manager told us they were part of professional networks, and this helped to ensure they kept up to date with good practice.

Staff supported people with their nutrition and hydration and helped ensure people’s preferences were met. One person told us, “The carers tell me what is there and say ‘you take your pick’ so I choose what I would like. I drink from a cup with a straw because that’s easier for me and the carers do it for me and I’ve always got something to drink.”

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 told us staff worked well together and communicated with them well to meet their needs. One person said, “I have them 3 times a day and they are very good, no complaints at all.” The agency worked well with other external professionals to meet the needs of people when this was required.

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.

People told us the staff knew their health needs and met these. Care records contained detailed information about people’s health conditions and how these might affect people. The staff reported any concerns in relation to people’s health and these were addressed appropriately, for example a referral to the GP and district nurses’ team.

For example, one person who was living with epilepsy had an emergency seizure management plan for the administration of emergency medicines should they have a seizure. This had been agreed and signed by the medical professionals involved in the person’s care and treatment. Staff had received appropriate training in epilepsy, and how to recognise signs and symptoms the person was becoming unwell. The care plan contained clear instructions for staff to follow in relation to seizure management, how to watch out for signs and what to do if the person had a seizure.

People had ‘health action plans’ in place. These contained details of the person’s healthcare conditions, goals and reasonable adjustments necessary. Healthcare professionals involved in the care of people were available to provide support and training to the staff. The registered manager told us, “We had training for urostomy recently. The healthcare professionals we know support us with specific training.”

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.

There was evidence of regular reviews and action being taken immediately following any changes to people’s health needs. The service worked closely with healthcare professionals who knew people well and followed their advice to help meet people’s changing needs.

Visit times were adjusted to meet people’s changing needs. For example, one person did not want to use a microwave,so it had been agreed to extend the time of the visits to enable staff to help prepare meals from scratch.

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

The provider was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People told us staff asked for their consent and involved them in decisions about their care and support. They said their choices were respected.

The staff were well informed of the principles of the MCA. They told us they always sought consent before supporting people.