Helping Hands Gateshead

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

This is the first inspection for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant on the whole people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this. People’s needs were assessed before they came to use the service. Only people who the team were confident they could meet their needs were accepted to be supported by the service. Assessments were used as the basis for the care records. The care records clearly detailed people’s needs. The registered manager and staff maximised the effectiveness of people’s care and treatment by consistently reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. The support offered was delivered in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. Staff supported people to manage their health and wellbeing in ways which maximised their independence, choice and control. The registered manager ensured people experienced positive outcomes from the support the service offered. People reported they found the staff closely listened to their views and care packages were very flexible, person-centred and would be altered quickly to meet any changes they wanted. Staff worked with local healthcare professionals and sought advice when required. Staff worked as a team to ensure people’s support needs were met. Staff made people aware of their rights around consent and respected these when they delivered person-centred care and treatment. Staff had received training around the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated Code of Practice. No one was using the service who lacked capacity to make decisions about their care and treatment. Staff had received mandatory and condition specific training. Staff supervision sessions were in the process of being completed in line with the provider's policy.

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 felt involved in all aspects of the design of the care package and how it was delivered. They felt the assessment was thorough and captured their needs. A person said, “Oh they always include me in everything and asked me what I needed from at the start before I agreed to them helping me.” A relative said, “[Registered manager] involve us in developing the care plans and risk management strategies. This is generally via face-to-face meetings, and occasionally by telephone if say there is a short-term change.”

Staff told us that there were effective systems in place to assess and monitor people's needs. A staff member said, "I make sure that the service users feel that we are doing everything in their best interests, and we are spending time including them in their care. I feel that the office staff go above and beyond to make sure if there is a risk that this is sorted, and we are all included so we know what is needed or what has been achieved and the outcome."

Assessments were produced, which were regularly updated, and these fully captured people's needs. The staff used assessments as the basis for developing the detailed risk assessments and care plans. People’s records included information about any need to use the Mental Capacity Act such as whether people lacked capacity to make decisions, contact details for GPs and immediate family members, and information about healthcare conditions. This helped staff recognise any deterioration in health so they could contact people's relatives and health and social care professionals.

People told us that the care package met their needs and staff followed the relevant guidance when supporting them. A relative said, “As a family, we are very happy with the care being received from Helping Hands. At the recent 6 monthly review meeting with [registered manager], we found the carer had been placed with [person’s name] because they had worked with SEN children in the past and they would have something in common. We were very impressed with [registered manager’s] careful consideration when placing carers to ensure a good match.”

Staff confirmed and we saw that they had the skills and knowledge to carry out their role effectively. Staff completed training in relevant areas to ensure they could carry out their role safely and competently. This training included supporting autistic people and people with learning disabilities. Staff supervisions were being completed in line with the company policies and expectations. A staff member said, “I feel that we get more than enough training to make us confident in working with people and also know that if I wasn’t confident, I could ask office staff and they would arrange further training until I was. Our training covers all aspects we have in office training days and also online training and refresher training days and theses will cover all aspects like moving handling medication challenging behaviours different ways of communicating so the service user is still making their own choices and being included in these choices and there care the best they can to keep them as independent for as long as possible.”

People’s needs were assessed before they came to use the service. The registered manager had developed systems to ensure right staff skill mixes were available to meet service users’ needs. They were investing in staff development to provide a progressive and expert workforce. They were clear that they would only provide support to people, when they were confident they had the skills to meet their needs.

People told us that staff were competent, caring and treated them in a dignified manner. They told us that staff recognised if there was a change in their health and, when needed, contacted relevant healthcare professionals. A relative said, “If the carer has any concerns or questions during the visit, they will contact their manager who in turn will phone us for clarification and advice.”

Staff reported they worked together effectively to provide safe care that meets people’s individual needs. They understood when they might need to seek support from external healthcare professionals.

The service had good links with the local community and worked in partnership with other agencies to improve people's opportunities and wellbeing. A professional said, "We regularly liaise with [registered manager] and are really impressed with their level of knowledge about the person’s needs, how they clearly communicate any changes and how they are extremely proactive in following up with them."

The registered manager had developed systems to ensure staff understood and recognised when people might need the support from external healthcare professionals. They completed regular audits, phone people and their relatives to check people were receiving the care they needed and discussed the support people needed during staff supervision sessions.

People told us that if they needed, staff would support them to access healthcare. A person said, "The staff and [registered manager] are excellent and will help me to get to appointments and assist me contact doctors or talk about what I need."

Staff liaised with external health and social care professionals to ensure people received consistent care and support. Staff told us they felt confident to support people with managing healthcare needs. A staff member said, “Some of our service users love to go out shopping or to the beach or even just for a walk to the end of their street and back they love it as they can chat with neighbours and just get out for fresh air we will always be happy to do this. I have raised we needed an [occupational therapist] referral for bed raiser to help a service user to get up off bed a lot easier as the bed was low and [registered manager] made sure this referral was made straight away the same day.”

People's healthcare needs were met. Care records clearly detailed people’s health needs and how staff were to support them. They also set out how to encourage people to maintain their well-being and independence.

People told us the care they received was good and they were happy with the service provided. People reported they found the staff closely listened to their views and care packages were very flexible, person-centred and would be altered quickly to meet any changes they wanted. A relative said, “Albeit [person’s name] has her own way of doing things. [Registered manager] is very good at assessing and advising and involving me where needed.”

The registered manager and staff told us they closely monitored the service to ensure people experienced good outcomes. They routinely checked people were satisfied with the service and whether any needs had changed.

The registered manager had developed the service with the local community and healthcare professionals to make sure what was offered met the outcome’s people needed such as assistance in medicine management, improving their mobility and engagement with others. The registered manager regularly reviewed the systems and processes in the service to determine if improvements could be made. Action plans were used to identify and monitor where changes were required and how these could improve the service. They used all feedback to assist them improve the quality of care.

People were supported to have the maximum choice and control over their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. People told us they were involved in decisions about their care.

When people receive care and treatment in their own homes an application must be made to the Court of Protection for them to authorise people to be deprived of their liberty if they lack capacity to consent to their care and treatment. At the time of the inspection nobody using the service was subject to restrictions of their liberty but staff understood the requirements of this legislation. Staff told us that they empowered people to make their own decisions about their care and support.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The Act requires that, as far as possible, people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible. Staff had received training around the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated code of practice and felt confident applying this in their practice. We confirmed DNACPR and consent policies, and procedures around how to complete capacity assessment and 'best interests' meetings were in place.