Allestree Health & Homecare Services

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 care needs were assessed before their care started and were re-assessed on any change or if they had needed to spend some time in hospital. One relative told us, “When [person] was in hospital, I told them when they were coming back out and they started their care the same day again. Their needs had changed as they were not as good on their feet anymore, so they changed the way they helped them walk around and use a zimmer. Staff gave them more support and looked at the new equipment.” This helped ensure people received effective care.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. Meals and drinks were prepared to people’s preferences. Staff understood and followed any dietary requirements people had. For example, a member of staff told us, “Some people have swallowing difficulties and they need their foods cooked and prepared appropriately, so bitesize pieces, and we sit with them if needed. Some people have weighted knives and forks to help them manage eating better and they may need their drinks made up with thickener. The speech and language team (SALT) recommendations will be in the care plan, and we will follow these.”

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services. Systems were in place to ensure staff and other services worked effectively together. During our assessment staff called the office to report a person required an ambulance. Staff and the office team worked together to ensure appropriate medical attention was arranged and relatives were informed. Communication between staff, leaders and other healthcare services worked well. A member of staff told us, “It all flows really well and the manager does all the assessments. I’ll go and read the folder and sign to say I’ve read the care plans. The ambulance crews have told us they love our folders as they can see how people have been.” Leaders told us how they had referred a person to the appropriate follow-on care team after they had moved into the area to ensure they received appropriate follow up care.

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. Actions were taken to monitor and help prevent any deterioration in people’s health. A relative told us, “Staff noticed [person’s] skin was a bit sore, so they got in touch with the GP and got some cream prescribed and put it on.” A person said, “They phone the GP if I’m not feeling too good, they know me well.” Records showed staff had monitored if people had felt unwell and identified any actions needed, and continued to monitor and record their progress, involving appropriate healthcare professionals and family as required. These actions helped to support people to live healthier lives.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. People experienced improvements in their well-being with the support from the service. A relative told us, “[Person] was quite anxious and worried at the start. The manager came and they appreciated how the manager talked to them and built the care plan around them. They have been amazed at it, they are benefitting from it so much, they get so much out of it. They are a different person since the staff have been going. They were going inside themselves and they’ve now been brought right out, they talk more, and they genuinely look forward to the staff coming, they talk about who has been and you can see the smile on their face, they have a buzz about them.” Leaders told us they worked with other professionals to effectively monitor and improve people’s outcomes. They had recently shared information about a person’s skin care with the appropriate healthcare professionals and followed a new treatment plan. Records showed the person’s skin was now improving.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. Staff understood the importance of asking people for their consent and people told us they could decline their care if they wanted to. One person told us, “We chat about what I need and I and decide if I want a shower that day or not.” A relative said, “Staff give [person] time to do things in their own time. Staff understand they may not want to shower every day.”