Wallfield

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

People were supported to make choices about their care.  The service worked with health and social care professionals to meet people’s needs. Consent was sought and people were involved in decisions about their health and wellbeing. If there was a concern a person lacked capacity to make individual decisions, an assessment was carried out in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

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.

People were involved in the assessment of their needs, and staff provided support to maximise people’s involvement.

Staff told us they kept up to date with people’s care plans and risk assessments. A staff member said, “I have plenty of time to read care plans and risk assessments. When a new person comes to stay here for respite, everything is accessible to us on our electronic recording system, but you can ask for it to be printed off. Whenever there are any changes to people’s care plans, we are informed and sign to say we have read the information. It is emphasised in staff meeting that if you notice any changes to people’s needs you need to let the registered manager or deputy manager know.”

Assessments considered people’s health, dietary, and communication needs, to enable them to receive care or treatment. Staff were offered additional training to meet people’s needs, and to support people with particular health conditions.

People were complimentary about the food and drink at the service. One person said, “Food is lovely. Chef is really nice.”

Staff told us they had a good understanding of people’s assessed needs and felt confident in supporting them. One staff member said, “People have an annual review with various professionals, the team leader, their key worker and their family members. The whole care plan is reviewed with people, and they can change their care.”

Staff worked in line with current guidance to meet people’s nutrition and hydration needs. People’s preferences and allergies were clearly recorded in their care plans. The menu in the service was diverse and people were consulted before new items were introduced.

Where appropriate, relatives told us they were kept informed and involved in their family member’s care. One relative told us, “I regularly have a touch base with [staff member’s name]. [Person’s other relative] is invited to annual meetings. As a family we have been invited to coffee mornings and Christmas and raffles.”

Staff had access to the information they needed to appropriately assess, plan and deliver people’s care and support. The service used an electronic care planning system and staff told us this made information easily accessible.

Health and social care professionals we spoke with were complimentary about the service. A health and social care professional told us, “They treat residents with respect, they are individual human beings and not someone they look after, they take them out on individual 1 to 1 basis.”

Care plans had information about people’s health conditions and were updated to reflect their changing needs. Information was shared between teams and services to ensure continuity of care. Health and social care professionals’ visits were recorded. The electronic care planning system allowed for changes to be made easily. This meant staff had the most up to date information relating to people’s health needs.

People were involved in regularly reviewing their health and wellbeing needs. People told us staff supported them to attend their health appointments.

Staff told us they knew people well and understood the risks they faced in terms of their health and well-being. For example, staff told us they used the electronic care planning system to record people’s fluid intake. Staff said it was important people kept hydrated, especially in the summer months.

The service had effective working relationships with health and social care professionals.

People were supported to access healthcare services such as GPs, dentists and district nurses.

Relatives told us staff communicated with them regularly and when there were changes to people’s care needs. One relative told us, “Staff give me a call and tell me what actions they've taken (as a result of change in person’s health).”

Staff knew people well and were able to recognise early signs of them becoming unwell.

The provider had systems in place enabling staff to identify and respond to changes in people’s health and wellbeing in a timely manner. The service used a tool which was designed to support care service staff and health professionals to recognise when a person’s condition may be deteriorating.

People told us they were treated with respect and were offered choices. People told us staff asked for consent before providing care or treatment.

Staff had received training in relation to MCA. Staff had a comprehensive understanding of MCA and the importance of consent.

Records showed MCA assessments had been completed for individual decisions. People’s care was planned in their best interest in the least restrictive way and in consultation with those important to the person. The registered manager had implemented a programme to review all MCA assessments having identified some outdated information.