Stoneyford Care Home

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

The provider and new manager had made improvements to ensure people received safe and responsive care. People told us they had access to other healthcare professionals and staff supported them to access services as needed. Visiting professionals said staff were knowledgeable about people and followed recommendations made about people’s care which resulted in positive outcomes for people. Managers made sure staff were given appropriate training and supported to treat people equally and fairly and reduce the risk of them being excluded from receiving care and support they were entitled to. Managers used people’s feedback to improve care to reduce any barriers people might experience due to their protected characteristics.

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.

Staff told us recent changes in the home had led to improvements in them being able to deliver person-centred care. A staff member said, “We are encouraged to spend time with people now and get to know them and their needs.” Staff told us communication had improved through regular team meetings and daily flash meetings where people’s changing needs were discussed. The new manager described how the home was building relationships with local professionals such as GPs and district nurses to ensure people received responsive care but also advice and support provided to help staff support people in a person-centred way. For example, through this method of working staff’s knowledge had increased about diabetes and potential indicators to show people’s condition was changing.

People and their relatives told us they were included in their care plans, and these were now reviewed at regular intervals. People said staff were knowledgeable about their conditions and supported them with information when needed. One relative said, “We had a review recently and it was very good. Previously I have had to chase for information and changes. This time it was more proactive and a positive 2-way conversation rather than being dictated to about the care plan and what was needed.”

We observed staff working with visiting professionals such as district nurses and paramedics during our assessment. Staff were responsive to requests for information, and we saw evidence of professional advice being followed. For example, staff were taking a person’s observations in line with a paramedic’s request.

Professionals working with the home told us they had seen improvement in communication, continuity and the provision of care offered. The local authority told us the home and staff were more open and transparent with their communication as well as now being more timely with notifications such as safeguarding. The local authority also confirmed the home was engaging in varied training programmes to support development regarding people’s conditions and ongoing monitoring.

People told us they had access to health professionals such as Dentists, District Nurses and Physiotherapists as needed but felt there was a shortfall in GP care. One person said, “I had a heart attack 2 weeks ago, the staff have been great, but I haven’t seen a GP since.” A relative of another person living at the home said, “I feel for staff, they try but the doctors only seem to want to offer telephone appointments, sometimes it takes days for any action to be taken.”

While staff told us there had been large areas of improvement in people’s care provision, they had struggled to gain access to GPs when required. One staff member said, “It can be hard work to get GP advice or get them to visit.” The new manager supported staff feedback. They described resistance of GPs to attending the home due to time constraints and was aware of people’s and relatives’ concerns. The manager said, “Until we can fully address the issues, we are supporting people with other methods such as 111 and paramedics when needed. We are upskilling staff to know which option is best for them to use and when to seek my support for resolution.”

The provider had policies and guidance in place to ensure people received care continuity and ensure people with protected characteristics were treated equally. We saw evidence the provider had reached out to local services to begin building relationships and improve people’s care provision. This included medical professionals such as GPs but also structured activity groups. For example, the home had agreed a watercolours activity session with a professional artist who understood the range of people’s needs.

Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and knew how to communicate with people in their preferred way including at times of crisis or distress. One staff member said, “Care plans have really clear information in them on how people like to be communicated with, but we know people really well so we can tell when this changes or if someone is struggling."

People and their relatives said they were supported with information in an accessible way that met their communication needs. People told us they had access to their care plans when requested. One relative said, “There have been some really positive changes, relative meetings now have a formal agenda and minutes afterwards meaning everyone remains up to date with information. The manager has also been supportive with relatives setting up a forum to communicate in prior to these meetings.”

The provider had policies in place to support the governance and protection of information. The management team were knowledgeable about how to provide information in an accessible way and ensured this was recorded within people’s care plan. We observed documents stored securely with delegated appropriate staff members having access. Care plans contained information for people about the use and storage of their personal data.

People told us they were involved in their care planning and improvements had been made across the service. While concerns remained around facilitation of activities people said the manager was responsive to other concerns they raised. One person said, “The manager is lovely and easy to talk to.”

The new manager had made improvements to how often people and staff were asked for feedback. The manager told us, “It’s important to remember this is people’s home and they need to have a say on everything. I hope by listening and acting on feedback I can show we have changed and improved and that people and staff are really valued.” Staff confirmed they had structured regular meetings with seniors and the management team but were also able to have informal meetings with managers as the need arose. A staff member said, “The manager has an open-door policy and makes time to listen, it’s been refreshing.”

The provider had a policy in place for managing complaints and we saw complaints were logged appropriately and delegated to a named staff member to review and respond. Care plans evidenced that people were asked for feedback and input into their care. There was also clear guidance on how people could raise concerns or complaints if needed. The provider had further supported this by having accessible information describing the process on noticeboards.

Staff told us they had received training on people’s unique health conditions. This meant they could recognise changes in the person’s health and take appropriate action. For example, staff were knowledgeable about people living with diabetes and how to identify symptoms of high or low blood sugars. Staff confirmed they had access to appropriate equipment to support people appropriately such as hoists and rotundas to support people with their mobility.

A visiting health professional told us that staff always contacted them if there were concerns. They also listened to any advice given which had resulted in positive outcomes for people. For example, people had successfully recovered from pressure sores.

People told they us they were supported appropriately to access care and support relevant to them in a timely manner. A relative said. “Recently my relative was ill and we could get the GP out, the staff went above and beyond checking on them whilst awaiting NHS advice.”

The new manager had introduced procedures and guidance for staff on how to support people with requests for healthcare professionals in out of hours situations. This had resulted in more responsive care for people. The management team had and were continuing to upskill staff in conditions people were living with to help their confidence in making informed and timely decisions on when medical assistance was needed.

The provider had an equality and diversity policy in place and an action plan to foster an inclusive culture. We saw evidence of feedback being sought from people and staff regarding their inclusion and outcomes.

People told us they felt they were treated fairly and without discrimination. One person said, “Staff have more time to spend with us now, I’ve managed to become friends with all of them, they are very supportive with all my needs.”

Staff were knowledgeable about the provider’s equality and diversity plan. The manager described how having a workforce of diverse culture was promoting understanding and open communication between people and staff. The manager said, “By learning from each other we can provide better care and outcomes for people.”

People told us they were supported to make informed choices about their care and plan their future care. People said this was reviewed as part of their regular care plan reviews so any changes could be made as needed.

Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the type of care and support people required as they reached the end of life. Staff described the importance of family involvement, making choices and maintaining dignity. Staff confirmed they had completed training in end-of-life care.

At the time of the onsite assessment no one was in receipt of end-of-life care however, the provider had a policy in place and encouraged people to make decisions were needed such as DNACPRs and ReSPECT forms. Care plans contained details about who people wished to be involved in this care planning if the need arose.