Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

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

We looked at evidence that the service met people’s needs. At our last inspection we rated this key question as good. At this inspection, the rating had remained as good, 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 service made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and decided in partnership with them, how to respond to any relevant changes in their needs.

People were involved in co-producing their own care and support plans with staff and these were reviewed and updated regularly. Staff, people and carers said staff regularly met with people and carers to understand their views on care and treatment. These discussions took place in one-to-one meetings with their named nurse and in multidisciplinary team meetings. However, the persons voice was not always clearly recorded. People said they had a copy of their care plan, and this was in an easy read format where required.

Staff monitored people’s conditions and discussed any changes at handover meetings, we observed good discussion at handover meetings around people and things that were working well, with staff sharing ideas and advice. People said they regularly met with their named nurse and were involved in their care and treatment, people said they felt able make suggestions at multidisciplinary meetings and felt supported to understand risks and how to keep safe.

The service had an activity coordinator that worked during the week as well as weekends and was responsible for offering and organising leisure-based activities, the activity coordinator was also responsible for ensuring people had the resources and equipment for activities. People had an activity box which had activities designed for them based on their concentration and cognitive needs. Activities were also supported by the ward staff. Therapists attended ward rounds on a Monday and therapy sessions were planned and scheduled during the ward round. Carers told us their relative’s care was individualised to meet their needs, and they had regular contact with staff to discuss care and treatment.

The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people and local communities, so care was joined up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Where appropriate, staff made sure people had access to opportunities for education and work. The trust had employment specialists who provided focussed support to people who wanted to explore employment, paid or voluntary opportunities as well as any education programmes that may have been of relevance. For example, a person who had been at Byron Court, was in the process of completing training to become an Expert by Experience for the trust wide Oliver McGowan training programme. Staff had supported the person to attend a trust event that was recruiting for that role. People that had expressed an interest in following a pursuit like this were encouraged to do so and introduced to the Lived Experience Involvement Group. Staff told us that there had been a person on the ward who prior to being admitted had regularly attended college, but on being admitted were not well enough to attend, so staff had arranged for the college to come to them on the ward so that the person could continue with things that were important to them.

Where appropriate, people were supported to access the community to attend various therapeutic activities including, cycling sessions and Sports for Confidence. People were also supported to assess and develop community access, road safety and money skills.

Staff helped people to stay in contact with their families and carers. People said they were supported to have regular visits and phone calls from their family. Carers said the ward was supportive and welcoming and there was always enough staff around, in a non-intrusive way. We observed staff supporting people with phone calls and visits from family.

The service provided appropriate, accurate information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Staff ensured people could access information on treatment and local services, in formats tailored to individual needs. There were folders on the ward with easy read information about things like activities, safeguarding, the Mental Health Act, mental health advocacy and how to make a complaint.

Across the ward we saw easy read signs for things such as, what each room was and what different drawers in the kitchen were used for. There was also a folder in nurses’ station with a variety of symbols.

Staff had access to equipment and information technology needed to do their work. The nurse’s station had enough room and access to computers for staff to be able to sit and do their work.

Leaders had access to information to support them with their management role. This included information on the performance of the service, staffing and people’s care. This information was presented and discussed in clinical governance meetings.

Staff made notifications to external bodies as needed. The service submitted notifications to the Care Quality Commission in accordance with requirements. The service submitted safeguarding referrals to the local authority.

The service made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support.

People, relatives and carers knew how to complain or raise concerns. People said if they had any complaints, they would speak to staff or the ward manager in the first instance. There was information on the wards in easy read format about how to make a complaint and advocacy.

Staff understood the policy on complaints and knew how to acknowledge and handle them. Staff and leaders told us people received feedback after investigations into complaints. Staff received feedback on the outcome of investigations into complaints and acted on the findings. In the last 12 months, the ward had not received any formal complaints.

The service made sure that everyone could access the care, support and treatment they needed, when they needed it.

The service met the needs of people. The ward had an accessible bedroom, equipped for people who may have a physical disability and may require a hoist, profiling bed or use of a commode. The service was accessible with step free access in and out, including the garden areas. Byron Court had made adaptions and had a ramp installed and introduced disabled parking bays at the front of the building.

Staff understood the needs of autistic people and people with a learning disability and worked to ensure that barriers faced by people were removed or mitigated against. For example, staff were meeting people’s specific communication needs, we saw welcome packs and information sheets available in easy read. People said information was provided to them in a format that met their needs, people had copies of their care plan in an easy read format where required. Easy read symbols were also displayed across the ward.

People had access to chaplains, who worked alongside other health professionals to provide religious and spiritual care for people regardless of faith, belief or philosophy. Chaplains assisted with the practice of religious observance or through listening and dialogue. The service had a multi-faith resource box containing different easy to read literature about different religions/faiths, religious colouring resources for mindfulness and easy read key texts.

People had access to interpreting and translation services, through the trust’s contracted provider. Where needed this provided people with interpreters face-to-face, via telephone or video calls based on their needs and preferences.

The service actively sought out and listened to information about people who were most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. The service tailored the care and support and treatment in response to this.

Staff within the service promoted a culture in which people using the service felt empowered to give their views.

Staff shared adjustments that had been made to accommodate people with diverse needs. Information was also made available in various formats and languages upon request to ensure accessibility.

The service had an equity, diversity and inclusion policy in place to guide staff in ensuring that people were treated fairly. All staff completed training in equality, diversity and inclusion. Staff had access to the trust’s identifying and supporting protected characteristics toolkit. This supported staff to recognise and understand protected characteristics and to provide person-centred care for people from those groups. The toolkit included checklists to prompt staff and contact details for the freedom to speak up guardian, staff engagement team, patient advice and liaison service and the chaplaincy service.

People were supported to understand and make decisions about their future care and support, including those relating to potential medical and psychological needs.

The multidisciplinary team worked collaboratively with people and their carers when planning for each person’s discharge. Staff ensured that appropriate arrangements were in place to sustain the person’s mental health. This included liaising with health and social care professionals to ensure people had appropriate accommodation to be discharged to and that a package of care was provided by mental health services. The ward liaised with services who had previously supported people, along with inviting them to discharge planning meetings to collaboratively support the person. People and carers said that there was discharge planning in place and supported housing options with care were being sought for 1 person, but at the time this person wasn’t ready for discharge. Staff told us the community mental health team regularly visited people to support with preparing for discharge.