Dene Park House

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’s needs were assessed with them prior to moving into the service and reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure their needs were met. People’s care was planned and delivered in accordance with their preferences and in line with best practice guidelines. Staff supported people’s health and wellbeing to ensure they experienced positive outcomes from the care the service provided. Staff worked well as a team and with other health and social care professionals to ensure people received consistent care and support which met their needs. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and sought consent from people before delivering care.

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, where appropriate, their relatives/advocates were involved in the assessment of their needs and the development of their care plans. One person told us, “Yes, I have seen my care plan. They [staff] come and ask you things from time to time, to adjust the care plan.”

The registered manager and staff were aware of the processes for assessing and meeting people’s needs. Staff were observed to be following them along with any related risk assessments. A staff member said, “I will always feedback to senior staff if I believe people’s care plans need to be updated.”

Systems were in place to ensure people’s care and support needs were met. Prior to using the service, pre-admission assessments were used to develop people’s care plans and associated risk assessments. These helped ensure the service was suitable and staff could meet people’s needs. They included details of relatives, any external professionals involved in people's care, along with specialist advice and guidance. Staff used a range of assessment tools to assess and monitor people’s health and medical conditions such as pain and skin integrity. Records were continually evaluated and reviewed to ensure people received the care that met their needs.

People felt involved in care planning and the assessment of their needs. They told us they were asked about their care and support requirements. Menu planning was a key area for most people and whilst they said they enjoyed the meals some people commented their preferences were not always met. The provider had identified this issue, and improvements were being made to menus and the variety of food available, in consultation with people and their relatives.

The registered manager and staff told us people’s care was based around their needs and preferences. Staff supported people to maintain a balanced and healthy diet of their choice. They were knowledgeable about people’s special nutritional needs and dietary preferences. Staff were aware of the best practice to support people on modified diets. One member of staff said, “We look after some people who can only take a certain amount of fluids so we have to document every drink. We have residents on different level diets and some who are unable to have food or fluids.”

Care records accurately reflected people’s care and support needs. Staff made timely and appropriate referrals for specialist support from other professionals such as the GP and speech and language therapy (SALT). Care plans contained information about people’s nutrition and hydration needs. Food and fluid charts were used to monitor people's nutritional health. People’s weights were monitored for risks of malnutrition.

People told us they were supported to access health care. They found staff recognised if there was a change in their health and, when needed, contacted relevant healthcare professionals. One person told us, “I do see my GP if I need to.” Another person said, “I see my doctor and I get my pills alright.”

The registered manager and staff worked well with other professionals to ensure people received effective care. They had a close working relationship with the local GP practice who visited weekly to review people’s health needs. Staff regularly communicated with external healthcare professionals to ensure people received consistent, timely care. They followed the advice and guidance provided to ensure people’s changing needs were met. One staff member told us, “I have worked alongside physiotherapists to ensure residents needs are met.” Another staff member said, “I’ve been involved in meetings to review people’s care plans with nurses and social workers on a few occasions. We discuss people’s changing needs and how best to care for them and keep them safe.”

The service worked in partnership with other agencies to improve people's wellbeing. One professional told us, “The Manager, and notably the Deputy Manager, are approachable and professional and communicate well both verbally and via email. They are an effective management team and act on requests, or concerns, expediently.”

Care plans contained evidence of collaborative working with external healthcare professionals, including in relation to, mental capacity, deprivation of liberty safeguards, behaviour support, tissue viability and speech and language therapy (SALT). Staff supported professionals to access people’s electronic care records, when needed, to ensure people were receiving the right type of care, for their specific health condition.

People’s healthcare needs were met appropriately. People told us they were asked about their care requirements and staff supported them to access healthcare professionals when needed. One person told us, “I see the doctor a lot actually.”

Staff told us they felt confident to support people to manage their healthcare needs. Staff worked with a range of professionals including the GP, district nurses, physiotherapists and the speech and language team (SALT). They made timely and appropriate referrals for specialist support.

Processes were in place to ensure referrals were made to healthcare professionals when needed. Care plans were in place to promote and support people’s health and wellbeing. Timely and appropriate referrals for specialist support were made. There was effective communication between staff and visiting professionals. A professional told us, “My experiences with Dene Park House have been positive to date and I have no concerns.”

Most people told us the care they received was good and they were happy with the service provided. One person told us, “The girls are very nice.” Another person said, “The girls are good, canny like.”

The registered manager and staff told us people’s care needs were closely monitored through daily observations to ensure people experienced good outcomes. Staff regularly reviewed people’s care plans to ensure they reflected their current support needs and desired outcomes. One staff member told us, “We evaluate all care plans monthly and sooner if the resident’s needs change.”

Systems were in place to monitor and improve people’s outcomes. Care plans and related risk assessments were personalised to ensure people’s outcomes could be met. These were evaluated monthly to ensure they reflected people’s current needs. The provider and the registered manager regularly reviewed the systems and processes in the service to determine if improvements could be made. Audits and action plans were used to identify and monitor where changes were required and how these could improve the outcomes for people.

People were supported to have the maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People told us they were involved in decisions about their care and staff respected their choices. People had the involvement of an advocate when family or friends were not available. One person told us, “They [staff] ask me what I want.”

Staff empowered people to make their own choices and decisions about their care and support. The registered manager and staff were aware of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the need to ask for consent. Staff had received training around the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. They told us they felt confident applying this in their practice. Staff explained what they were doing and asked people’s permission before providing care and support. Comments included, “Before doing any personal care, I ask permission first”, “I ask the consent of the resident before I do anything for them” and “I would never do anything without asking.”

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. People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the MCA. In care homes, and some hospitals, this is usually through MCA application procedures called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People’s care plans showed capacity assessments and best interest decisions were completed when needed and in line with national guidance. When necessary, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) had been applied for and had either been authorised or were awaiting assessment. Authorisations were closely monitored by the registered manager.