Bales Court

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.

This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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.

The new management team had identified areas where personalised care could be improved. The manager explained to us that one person had been having their breakfast at 10am once they were dressed but often found the environment too overwhelming and distracting at that time to eat. They told us, “We said why don’t we ask her if she wants to come down earlier when it’s calmer and it’s much better for her now because of this.”

People’s rooms had been decorated with items that were important to them, such as photos of loved ones and pictures of their hobbies and interests. The building was currently being refurbished and as part of this process, people had been able to choose what colour they wanted their rooms, and in some cases, had been involved in the painting of it. The manager told us “[Person] wanted to paint his room. He only wanted to do it for 10 minutes but you can see he feels like he’s really achieved something and he’s so proud of it.”

People were supported to go out into their community and to places they enjoyed. People who wanted to were supported to go to the pub for a drink. Others were supported to the local supermarket or to a nearby park. There were also a variety of activities within the service. A relative told us, “Theres lots of activities such as art, music and dancing.” Another relative said, “Since the new manager has been in post there are more outside trips.”

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.

A comprehensive business continuity plan was in place. This document confirmed what action to take in the event of an emergency to ensure the continuity of the care being provided to people. For example, in adverse weather, due to the loss of the building due to a fire, or if any of the utilities failed.

There was an ongoing refurbishment of the building during the time of our assessment. Staff had ensured that people had not had to move out of their home during this process by planning how to continue to deliver the care they required within the building. For example, one person’s ensuite was being refurbished. During this time, the person was supported to access another ensuite in a spare room so there was minimal disruption to their routine.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

The regional manager had recently invested in a visual communication tool to support people to communicate their choices. Staff were also in the process of undertaking Makaton training to aid their communication with people.

Advocates were involved in people’s care where people lacked capacity and did not have a next of kin to support them. The advocate told us they were always kept updated on the wellbeing of the person and any issues.

The provider made it easy for people or their relatives 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.

People had monthly meetings with their keyworkers, where they were given time to communicate their feelings on the service they were receiving. Any actions from this were followed up by their key workers. A staff member told us, “In the meetings, [we talk about] how can they do activities, how can they go out and have a good time”

The manager told us monthly newsletters would soon be sent to relatives and friends, so that they would be able to update them on what their family member had been up to. Relatives were encouraged to keep regular contact with the service, and updates were sent to relatives who had requested this to keep them informed on their family members health and wellbeing. One relative told us, “I’ve been to care review meetings, and I’m asked my views. Information is passed on.”

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.

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

People’s wishes for the end of their lives had been recorded in their care plans. This included the names of any funeral directors, who they would want to be with them during their last days, and in some cases, songs they would like played at their funeral.