Silver Birch Care Home

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

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 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. The registered manager understood the diverse personal, health and social care needs and wishes of the people they supported including their local communities, and ensured care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. People received person-centred care and support from competent staff who were familiar with their individual needs, preferences and daily routines. Each person had an electronic care plan in place that contained detailed and up to date personalised information about people’s likes and dislikes, and how they preferred staff to meet their care needs and wishes. This information supported staff to get to know people as individuals and to provide care which was specific to them. People told us that staff knew them well and respected their choices. Staff approached and communicated with people appropriately, which enabled people to make decisions about their care and support. People were offered the opportunity to take part in meaningful activities inside and outside of the service led by dedicated staff. This promoted people’s social, cognitive and physical wellbeing. One person shared, “I am very happy, staff are always pleasant, we went out to the pantomime and got fish and chips. I go upstairs for activities every day. We are a gang here. I am content, got a lovely room that opens out onto the garden, and I go out in the good weather and pull up the weeds. Activities are the best thing here we all like going.” The registered manager advised that with the additional activities staff recruited the team would be able to provide more group and 1:1 activities across the week including weekends.

We did not look at Care provision, Integration and continuity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

We did not look at Providing Information during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. Staff and the management team supported people to express their views and to be involved in decisions about their care and support. Care records reflected people’s participation. People and relatives told us they felt able to raise any issues with the staff and management team and were confident that these would be addressed. A private social media network app had been introduced to promote a two-way conversation between family members and residents outside of visits to the service. Families using the app could share news, updates and photographs which was turned into a personalised newsletter for the person and became a talking point for staff and relatives to use. A relative shared, “Communication has improved now they have the app. The home puts on what’s going on there, we post our pictures and news and they [staff] print it out fortnightly, [Family member] knows they are being thought of.” People and relatives were encouraged to give their feedback through meetings and quality assurance surveys. Their feedback was gathered and reviewed by the registered manager and used to continually develop the service. For example, people had made suggestions about the meals and snacks and the catering team had accommodated this. One person shared. “Food is very good. The cook came to the residents meeting. I told him the parsnips were cut too thin and got hard when cooked and we could not bite into them, so they cut them wider.” Where concerns and complaints had been raised these were investigated, responded to with lessons learnt shared with the staff to prevent recurrence.

We did not look at Equity in access during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

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 completed training in equality and diversity to understand and reduce inequalities or prejudices that affected outcomes for people. The provider’s equality and discrimination policies were in line with current best practice guidance. People and where appropriate their relatives and or representatives were supported with decision making about ongoing care and treatment arrangements, in line with personal preferences and individual needs. People’s care records evidenced where their protected characteristics had been considered, and reasonable adjustments had been made. For example: if someone had a physical disability and required mobility aids to improve their experience then the appropriate support and equipment was provided.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. People and relatives told us they were involved in decisions about their care and support arrangements. Care records included information about advanced care planning. Advance care planning enables a person to express and have documented their preferences and priorities of how they wish to be cared for as their illness progresses. This supported staff, the registered manager and relevant healthcare professionals involved to understand what's important to the person and to care for them in the way they'd like. Care records for people who were at the end of their life recorded important discussions regarding their end of life wishes. They included details regarding contact with family and friends, preferences regarding treatment such as cardiopulmonaryresuscitation(CPR) and recommended summary plan for emergency care and treatment (ReSPECT) forms, religious needs and any pre- made funeral plans. Where people had declined to participate in discussions around future care planning this was noted on their care records and respected.