Ribble Valley 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.

Relatives said they had been involved in care planning and reviews. One family member told us, “[Family member] had an assessment prior to moving. They went through everything and we've had a review.”

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 supported by appropriate health and social care professionals if the need arose. Regular reviews took place, to provide effective support and keep people safe. Staff understood the needs of the people they supported, and the help they required.The provider used recognised tools to manage people’s needs, for example around falls risks, risk of weight loss and skin health. Staff were aware of specific dietary needs and how to meet them, for example people who had diabetes or pureed meals.

Most people praised the food at Ribble Valley Care Home. Comments included, “The food is very good, you can have as much as you want. I'm always offered a second helping.” “I'm happy with the food, and I can have anything I want.” And “The food is alright. The food is good. We get to choose what we have.” One relative shared concern that meal choices were limited. The manager told us food is discussed at resident meetings, and they were in the process of employing a new chef and menus would be reviewed.

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.

The provider shared information with other health and social care professionals to support care planning and delivery. Records of agreements and treatment plans were kept in people’s bedrooms to help enable consistency of care. The service had regular ‘ward rounds.’ This was a meeting held with health professionals to review people’s needs, ensure timely medical support if required and reduce the risk of hospital admissions.

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.

Documentation showed expert advice was sought if this was needed and included in individual care plans. One person told us, “The GP comes around every Thursday.”A second person commented, “The food’s good, I’ve lost weight and feel healthy.” People told us they were supported to seek further medical advice if this was required.

Observations showed staff were effective in providing support. When 1 person had an accident, staff assessed the risks, took swift action, sought medical guidance while comforting and reassuring the person.

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 told us they felt staff supported them to achieve positive outcomes. One person told us, “The social services team have been round to instruct me on how to walk and I'm getting better.” One relative said, “[Family member] has put weight on since being here.”

The provider had installed smart lamps in some bedrooms to monitor people’s safety and wellbeing. The lamps alerted staff if people get out of bed or fell and the motion sensor lighting helped prevent disorientation, trips and falls. The provider told us the lamp had provided information on why someone was falling and reduced the need for staff oversight at night.

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

Staff completed training in MCA and understood the concept of consent, and we observed staff seeking consent from people before care was delivered. The provider worked in partnership with people’s advocates and representatives in line with The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The provider made applications to the local authority if people were at risk of being deprived of their liberty.