Maldon House

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 remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery. Services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals. There were systems in place to ensure people were getting a good quality of care to meet their needs and resources were used to support people to maintain a good quality of life and overcome any potential barriers.

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 were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs. Staff knew people well and what was important to them and who they enjoyed spending time with. The provider bought people living at the service gifts for their birthdays and Christmas for example tickets to theme parks. We received some mixed feedback about person-centred care. One relative told us, "They (staff) spend a lot of time with [name] and know what they like and dislike and what makes them laugh and what makes them tick." Another relative told us, "Yes. They were very open about what [name] needs. They asked us for input and sat down and went through all of [name] needs at the time." However, another relative told us on occasion their loved one did not receive person centred care and felt the staff needed to encourage people more with their personal hygiene needs. We discussed this with the manager, and they were aware of the concerns and staff worked with people to maintain their hygiene needs. On our visits everyone living in the home looked well presented and happy.

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. We found people received support from the same team of staff who knew them well and were able to provide good continuity of care. This was supported by care plans that included relevant guidance for staff to follow. People had assigned keyworkers and keyworkers had specific experience and training to ensure they had the correct skill sets to support people. One staff member told us,” I would like to do ADHD training, so they are looking into this as one of the residents has this.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. People had a communication passport, this included information about how people liked/were able to communicate. We saw staff communicating effectively with each person throughout the day in a way that suited each individual. This included verbal communication, Makaton and objects of reference or a combination of methods. Easy read and pictorial information was available for people. For example, some people enjoyed cooking. There were easy read cookbooks, these provided pictorial and simple word guidance which people could follow. Staff told us how they could easily access policies, records and forms via Risk Assessment Database and Register (RADAR) by scanning the QR code.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. The manager told us how they practiced lessons learnt in team meetings, identifying areas of training required. There were effective systems in place for reporting incidents and accidents and staff told us about the ease of reporting by scanning a QR code to access forms. After certain incidents staff members discussed with people what had happened including their emotions and behaviours if appropriate and helped to identify what could be done differently.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. The manager told us how they practiced lessons learnt in team meetings, identifying areas of training required. There were effective systems in place for reporting incidents and accidents and staff told us about the ease of reporting by scanning a QR code to access forms. After certain incidents staff members discussed with people what had happened including their emotions and behaviours if appropriate and helped to identify what could be done differently.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Staff were aware of the importance of ensuring people were not subject to inequality or discrimination due to their disability or health needs. Staff spoke with people in a way that suited each individual. This included the use of Makaton, gestures individual to each person and short sentences, using language that was relevant to each person. There were examples of pictorial information available for people, this included menus and daily activity planners. Staff actively involved people in planning their own support and encouraged them to make their own decisions and choices. People were supported to engage in a range of activities of their choice, either in groups or as individuals. We observed people spending time in their own rooms and enjoying their own space. People were going out throughout the day, some people were going to the cinema. We observed them choosing the film they wished to see and told us they were going to have lunch whilst they were out. Although the service had its own transport staff told us people generally used public transport as this is what they enjoyed, and it also promoted integration with the local community. The management team told us how one person wanted to celebrate their sexuality, so they celebrated pride at the home for them. They also told us about a learning disability music festival they were planning on going to.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. The manager told us how they practiced lessons learnt in team meetings, identifying areas of training required. There were effective systems in place for reporting incidents and accidents and staff told us about the ease of reporting by scanning a QR code to access forms. After certain incidents staff members discussed with people what had happened including their emotions and behaviours if appropriate and helped to identify what could be done differently.