Fam Daily Care Ltd

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 before they started using the service. People were assisted to have enough to eat and drink where this was part of their care needs. The registered manager worked closely with health and social care professionals to monitor the health of people. Staff monitored people's health and welfare and made referrals to health care professionals where appropriate. The management team and staff understood the importance of people having the right to make their own decisions. People were able to make day to day decisions about their lives such as how they were supported or how they want to spend their time. There were policies and procedures for them to follow.

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.

Relatives confirmed they and their relative were involved in the initial assessment process. A relative also told us, “[This service was] the best option, it is small, and they only have a few people. [Relative] is very complex. The service managed this well.”

The registered manager explained how they involved people in decisions about their care and said, “First of all the initial assessment, we make sure they [person] are there. We ask them their preferences and make sure the family are involved. We give [people using the service] one to one time and involve family members. Staff were knowledgeable about the assessment process and confirmed relatives were involved in the care planning process.

People’s needs were assessed before they began to use the service so the provider could be sure they could meet their needs. Assessments included needs around communication, tissue viability, diet and fluids, health and medicines, mobility and falls, mental health, spirituality, safety, rest and sleep, continence. People’s life history was captured at the assessment stage including past employment and pets owned.

People told us they liked the food. A person asked us to check if staff were preparing their lunch choice of beans and potatoes which we found they were. Relatives told us they were satisfied with how the service managed their relative’s nutritional intake. A relative explained staff understood and managed their relative’s dietary requirements. Another relative told us, staff were very good at making sure relative always had a jug of water. They also said, “The food was fine but [relative] was fussy, so we used to bring in food for them.”

The registered manager told us the menu was chosen by people using the service and people could choose an alternative to what was on the menu. They told us they often brought in shopping supplies on their way into the service when staff informed them a person wished to have an alternative or if stocks were running low. Staff described how they ensured people ate and drank enough. Comments included, “We follow what is on the menu list. We always ask [people] what they want if they want anything different from the menu. We make sure we are offering drinks, fruits, and vegetables” and “I try my best to make sure [people] are eating enough. I try to persuade them to eat healthy food. I try to persuade them to drink too.”

There was an adequate supply of food and snacks appropriately stored in the kitchen. Opened food was labelled and dated. The menu was displayed on the wall and offered a variety of nutritious food including fresh fruit and vegetables. We observed people being asked what they would like to eat for lunch and then being served their choice.

People were involved, where able, in decisions about their care which helped them to retain choice and control over how their care and support was delivered.

The registered manager told us the staff team worked well together and they were like one family. They confirmed staff had access to people’s care plans and relevant records so care could be delivered effectively. Staff confirmed they understood the assessment process and knew where to find relevant information in relation to people’s care, preferences, and the involvement of health professionals. Staff confirmed they attended staff meetings and found these useful. A staff member told us the meetings were, “For staff to air their views and concerns to the management.”

People's health needs were monitored and staff reported any concerns to the management team who made referrals to health care professionals as required.

Care plans contained relevant information about people’s care needs and preferences to enable staff to deliver effective care. Records contained relevant guidance from health professionals to enable staff to support people to manage specific health conditions. The provider held regular staff meetings so staff could be updated on service development and to check staff knowledge about key care topics such as recordkeeping, medicines and shift leading.

Relatives told us they were satisfied with how staff supported their relative to maintain their physical and mental health. A relative said, “[Person’s] safety has to be carefully managed but staff managed this well and [person] was kept safe.” Another relative told us, “[Staff] would encourage and be with [relative] all the time. There were activities downstairs to stimulate but [person did not want to do them.”

The registered manager told us, “We ensure people are well looked after in every area, physically and mentally and we ensure that we register with the GP and keep records of every appointment. We keep in touch with the adult team [at the local authority]. We ensure staff go with them to the hospital and [if admitted] go there on a daily basis. We take the hospital passport and the MAR chart.” Staff knew how to support people to live healthier lives. They told us, they made sure people had a healthy diet and took their medicines on time. A staff member told us, “Everyday, I ask them ‘are you having any pains’, and I ask them how they slept, if they slept good.” Staff told us a staff member always accompanied people to healthcare appointments.

People had hospital passports which detailed how they wished to receive support from health professionals and documented their likes and dislikes. Each person had a pain scale tool in place for pain management, a falls tool, MUST (Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool) screening tool and risk for the development of pressure sore tool.

The staff monitored people’s health care needs and informed the registered manager of any changes.

The registered manager told us, “We monitor the improvement we see in [people using the service]. We would ask how long they feel they need to achieve their goal. We monitor the care log and by observation to measure how they are achieving [the goal].” Staff described how they monitored and supported people to achieve their goals and improve their outcomes. A staff member told us, “I usually ask for [person’s] suggestion and always seek their opinion. I ask if they want to do something different. I watch and see if there is any improvement. Sometimes they may need something changing or there may be a deterioration, so I listen and always let the management know.”

Care plans detailed goals with expected outcomes. Progress towards reaching goals was noted in care logs and discussed at care plan reviews.

People confirmed staff asked them first before providing support. Care logs documented where consent had been sought from people and been given. We observed staff asked people first before entering their rooms.

The registered manager understood their responsibility in relation to people consenting to the care they received. The registered manager told us they understood that if a person did not have the capacity to consent a relative could only consent on their behalf if they had lasting power of attorney. Staff understood the importance of obtaining consent before delivering care. A staff member told us, “When the person has capacity, I speak with them and get their consent. If they don’t have capacity, I will still speak to them to tell them what I am doing. They can give non-verbal cues, but I will still speak to them whether they can respond or not.” Another staff member said, “We ask for consent before we do anything.”

Where appropriate, people who had capacity had signed to consent to receiving care. Records showed, people who did not have capacity had decisions made through best interests’ assessments.