Sihara Care

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

The rating has improved from requires improvement to good during this assessment. People received personalised care and support that met their needs. Care plans included clear details about people’s individual support needs. Staff were responsive to people’s needs and wishes. Information was accessible and people's views were listened to and acted on. Records were updated to help ensure they reflected people’s changing needs. Complaints were managed appropriately. People’s equality and diversity needs were respected and met.

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 and relatives were involved in the care planning process. A care needs assessment had been carried out before people received care from the agency to help ensure their needs could be met. A relative told us, “The care is fine. All [my family member’s] needs are met.”

Staff had access to people’s care plans and this was useful to them when providing care and support to people. The manager told us they regularly reviewed people’s care with the involvement of their relatives to ensure care plans accurately reflected people’s needs.

Care records included assessments of people’ needs. They reflected an understanding of people’s individual needs and how to meet these. Information was personalised and included people’s choices and wishes.

People and relatives told us the staff and manager had a good understanding of people’s needs. A relative told us, “The carers are fine. I have nothing but praise for them, they are competent to do their job.”

The manager kept informed of best practices and shared this information with staff during supervisions and team meetings.

Senior staff shadowed new care staff and supported them to learn how to follow best practice. Staff were provided with guidance and additional training when needed. This had helped staff to deliver more appropriate care.

People and their relatives told us the staff worked with them and other professionals.

Staff told us they were supported in their work and felt valued working at the service. They spoke positively about communication within the agency and felt comfortable reaching out to their colleagues and management for support. When speaking with care staff, we noted that the level of English spoken was in some instances limited and some care staff struggled to understand a few of the questions they were asked. Some care staff needed prompting before they were able to answer some questions. We raised this with management and discussed the importance of care staff being able to understand and relay information clearly especially in a case of an emergency. We saw documented evidence that management had reviewed English verbal skills individually with each member of staff as part of their recruitment process to help ensure they were able to speak a reasonable level of English. Management acknowledged this and said in response they would carry out further language sessions with staff to help ensure they were familiar with key words and to further develop their language skills. Management communicated effectively with healthcare professionals.

We did not receive feedback from external partners about this aspect of the service.

Systems were in place to help support communication between parties to encourage continuity of care. The service kept a record of key contacts for people so that staff knew who to liaise with.

People and their relatives told us staff monitored their health and wellbeing and responded appropriately when people became unwell. For example, contacting medical professionals as necessary.

Staff monitored people and recorded their progress on daily notes which were held electronically. This included areas such as nutrition, hydration, activities and health concerns.

There was a system in place to help ensure people’s health and wellbeing was monitored.

People and relatives told us staff knew people well and were able to monitor their wellbeing and changes in their needs or health.

Daily notes were completed by staff. These enabled staff to monitor people and help staff respond to people’s changing needs promptly to help promote positive outcomes.

Care plans we reviewed showed evidence of outcomes being monitored and progression towards goals.

People were involved in their care and support where they were able to do so.

Staff had completed Mental Capacity Act (MCA) training. Staff were aware of the importance of giving people time to make their own decisions where possible. Management were aware of the importance of making decisions in people’s best interests and not imposing unnecessary restrictions on people.

A MCA policy was in place. Care records lacked comprehensive information about people’s capacity to make decisions. We raised this with management who advised that they were in the process of moving to a new electronic care management system and the new system would enable them to record this information in detail.