Elm Lea Residential 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 had been regularly assessed. People’s care plans were detailed, person centred and the information contained within them had been reviewed regularly. Before people moved into the service, the registered manager carried out an assessment of their needs to ensure the service could be meet those needs. People and their relatives told us they felt confident their needs were known. When people’s needs changed staff made appropriate referrals to other professionals which were documented within care plans and shared with staff. Staff told us that during handovers, and within their communication group they were kept up to date about people’s changing needs.

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.

Care plans and risk assessments for people were created using best practice guidance and legislation. For example, care guidance was informed by using recognised assessment tools such as Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and Waterlow guidance. MUST has been designed to help identify adults who are underweight and at risk of malnutrition. The Waterlow score is a clinical assessment tool used to predict a patient's risk of developing pressure sores or ulcers.

The registered manager was aware of the right support, right care, right culture (RSRCRC) guidance in relation to supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people. RSRCRC is statutory guidance that sets out expectations for health and social care services supporting autistic people and people with a learning disability. The registered manager was able to demonstrate how they used this guidance to ensure people had maximum control of their lives.

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.

Staff and the registered manager worked with a range of professionals to ensure people received joined up care. People and their loved ones told us they received support from the district nurse, care home team, GP, dentist and chiropodist. The care home team provide integrated healthcare, frailty management, and rapid support for residents living in local care homes. A healthcare professional told us that staff worked well with them and made appropriate referrals. A healthcare professional told us, “It’s very good care. They are very well looked after.”

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 were supported to live healthy lives through a balanced diet and exercise where possible. People and their loved ones told us the food was ‘excellent.’ People were supported to make healthy meal choices which in some instances supported their health conditions including diabetes. Other people had been supported to gain weight since being at the service.

Relatives told us people were supported to remain healthy. They told us, “She cut her leg and the district nurse visited her. They dressed her leg and it healed.” Another told us their loved one had been supported to have a hearing test.

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.

Staff and the registered manager monitored people to ensure their needs were met. People and their relatives were very positive about the service and their improved outcomes. Relatives told us that people had increased their weight, that their wellbeing had improved and that one person’s diabetes had been stabilised since moving into the service.

Relatives told us they felt assured by the support given by staff and the registered manager. One relative told us they no longer worry about their loved one because they were assured they were safe at the service. Another relative told us, “The home care team comes in a lot. They question if there is anything they are worried about they tell them and the GP will review them.”

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

People’s mental capacity had been assessed including any decisions that might be required for the future. When people lacked capacity, guidance was in place to inform staff and decisions were made in people’s best interests with input from their loved ones. Care plans clearly detailed where people had lasting power of attorney (LPA). LPA is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more trusted people make decisions on your behalf if you can no longer make them yourself.

Staff told us they supported and encouraged people to make day to day decisions. Staff told us, “We reinforce to the team all the time to gain consent when completing any care. We involve people as much as possible by giving them choices. Their likes and dislikes are written in their care plans. Daily notes show we ask them on a daily basis for example what choice of drink they want.”