Grace House Care Home Limited

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 were assessed prior to them moving into the service. The registered manager told us, “Sometimes I get a pen-picture of the person or basic information over the phone. I will ask them what their needs might be and whether we can meet them. I will invite people to come in and have a look if they can and at that stage will give them information on the service which they can read. Then me and another staff member would go and do a face-to-face assessment. We would set up the initial care plan with essential information such as their personal evacuation plan, moving and handling needs, nutrition and hydration, skin integrity and medication. After that we would start to add to the care plan as we got to know people.”

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them.

As people’s care plans were developed the service completed additional assessments. These followed nationally recognised guidance, such as malnutritional screening, falls risk assessments and skin integrity. This helped staff achieve baseline information for people and determine where people needed additional support.

People’s care plans were reviewed regularly to help ensure they remained up to date and accurate. A relative told us, “We have been involved in the reviews of her care plan.”

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people.

The service worked well with external healthcare professionals, arranging for visits and consultations when needed for people. The registered manager told us, “We always escalate medically and we use a remote monitoring service which offers triage and advice. The response is good and it’s really helpful. It’s given staff confidence in their decisions.”

During our assessment we observed staff working well together. They ensured there was always a staff member in communal areas with people, and we heard them discussing between them which tasks required doing and who would do them. In addition, the registered manager had introduced an additional staff member for an hour early morning each day. This was to support 1 person who required extra support first thing in the morning.

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.

Staff encouraged people to manage their own health and medical needs where they could. This included 1 person who undertook a large amount of their own care independently and told us this was important to them.

Relatives had confidence that staff would identify when their family member needed additional support or external input. A relative told us, “There have been health issues. Staff noticed something was wrong and took a photograph. They have been very supportive, and she is now under the consultant.”

People’s care plans included information about health conditions, their medication and how to maintain their wellbeing. People were provided with home cooked food. One person said, “The biggest benefit here is the food. It’s first class.” A relative told us, “It’s very good actually. It smells nice. Her appetite is much better now.”

The provider monitored people's care and treatment to drive continuous improvement, ensuring outcomes were consistently positive and met both clinical expectations and the individual needs and preferences of the people using the service.

Staff supported people to improve and regain their strength and mobility wherever possible. For example, 1 person returned from a hospital stay unable to walk and requiring a full-body hoist for transfers. Through the support of staff, alongside physiotherapy, the person made significant progress and no longer required a full-body hoist, as they were able to stand again.

In another example, a person who experienced hallucinations, moved into the service from their own home. The registered manager worked with the person's GP and mental health team to ensure they received the medication they needed. As a result, the person's wellbeing improved significantly, and they now attend a day centre 5 days a week and rarely require their medication.

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

Staff received training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and demonstrated a good understanding of its principles. They recognised the importance of supporting people to make their own decisions wherever possible and understood they should always seek consent before providing care. One staff member told us, "Don't assume they don't have capacity. They have a right to make their own decisions. If not, we then have a best interest meeting."

Where people lacked capacity to make specific decisions, staff understood these should be made in the person's best interests and, where appropriate, involve relatives and relevant professionals. This helped to ensure people's rights were respected and that care was provided in line with the principles of the MCA.