Royal Mencap Society - Rotherham and Sheffield Domiciliary Care Agency

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 71 (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 care and support plans were detailed and thorough, providing staff with the correct information to carry out safe, supportive and personalised care. People and relatives are involved in the care and support planning process, with one relative commenting, “[Relative] was involved in their own care plan when they first moved in. Staff know [relatives] likes and dislikes and their daily routine.” People’s care and support were reviewed regularly and updated if any changes occurred.

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’s nutrition and hydration needs were met in line with current guidance. Where people had specific dietary needs, such as requiring a modified diet. Staff were knowledgeable and had received training on how to prepare food in line with ‘The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative’ (IDDSI). One person living at the service told us of their involvement with meal planning for their modified diet, and how the foods they enjoyed had been adapted to meet their dietary needs. For another person living at the service who had Diabetes, staff had created a diabetic friendly apple crumble to ensure they did not miss out on their favourite treat. The service worked well with professionals such as Speech and Language Therapists (SALT) and raised concerns in a timely manner. One professional commented, “I think we generally have a good relationship with the Mencap services, and the staff often know service users well."

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. Assessments consider people’s individual needs, circumstances, ongoing care arrangements and expected outcomes. Information was shared between teams and services well and staff told us daily handovers were effective in ensuring positive outcomes for the people who they supported. One professional who worked with the service told us, “Information is always clear, they pass on concerns promptly and are always kind and professional with the people they support."

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. In line with right support, right care, right culture guidance, people were empowered and supported to manage their own health, care and wellbeing needs by staff who understood their needs and preferences. People were supported to remain as independent as possible and their care and support plans reflected this. People at the service told us about the activities they enjoyed and how staff encouraged them positively. One relative told us, “[Relative] has independence, they go in a taxi alone to day service, [Relative] does their own food shopping with carers and expresses what they want. [Relative] can help in the kitchen and make a sandwich with supervision. [Relative] also tidies their room and takes their washing down. [Relative] is always out and about."

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. The staff shared positive examples of improving the outcomes of the people they supported. One person who had moved from a care home had been supported into a less restrictive environment, where staff encouraged this person to participate in activities. Another couple who were suggested to enter 24 hour care, were living together successfully in the supported living environment and risks were being managed successfully.

Staff understood the importance of obtaining consent before delivering care and had received up to date training around the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). One member of staff told us, “If someone refused care, I would ask why, if I couldn't offer reassurance after explaining the process, I would not push. Instead, I’d document why they have refused and let my manager know.” However, we found at 2 services, some people’s capacity assessments had not been carried out. We found in people’s support plans, it referenced what support the person needed, but often no reference to the person’s capacity or ability to consent to these tasks being carried out. This was formally fed back to leaders within the service and these assessments were promptly put in place.