Sylvan Home Care Services - Bromborough Branch

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has changed to requires improvement. This meant people’s needs were not always met.

This service scored 61 (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 did not always make sure people were at the centre of their care and they did not always work in partnership with people, to decide how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. There were no effective systems in place to make sure people and their loved ones were involved in developing the organisation of care calls as highlighted throughout this report. Care plans were detailed and prioritised people’s preferences for the way they wanted to be spoken with and treated. People and their loved ones confirmed staff knew about their own personal circumstances and where open and honest about any change which would benefit the person. One person said, “I recommend Sylvan because they do what it says on the tin. They care for her as an individual and laugh and joke with her.”

There were some shortfalls in how the provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was not always joined-up, flexible or supportive of choice and continuity. Care calls where not recorded appropriately making calls appear late, missed, or care staff did not always stay for the duration that they should.

People’s assessments included information about their health and care needs engaging with other professionals involved in their care and support.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. We observed different information, such as the complaints procedure, was made available to people in formats they could understand.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. They involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. People, their relatives and staff confirmed they felt comfortable raising concerns or making suggestions and felt listened to. Peoples loved ones told us, “100% response to any concerns”, and “I rang them to cancel a visit. Their response was very understanding.”

The provider made sure people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. We saw examples of people being supported quickly and referred in a timely manner when their support needs had changed. People confirmed they were aware that they could request changes to their care at any time. One persons loved one told us, “Quite a while ago I complained the morning visits were too late and I asked why. They explained and sorted it.”

The provider supported people so they could access the care, support and treatment they needed. People and their loved ones told us the provider was flexible around planned call times and although we saw discrepancies with call time recording all the people and their loved ones told us staff completed their calls to suit the needs of the person. We saw examples when staff completed referrals to external health and social care professionals when required to ensure people had access to required care to meet their needs.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People’s care plans included information about their end of life wishes. The manager explained people’s families would take care of arrangements, and we saw this was reflected in their plans. The service was not supporting people nearing the end of life at the time of our inspection. However, the manager told us the service would always provide any necessary support to people and their families if required, including liaison with palliative care and other relevant health professionals.