Connections Care Ltd

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

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery. Care plans reflected people’s care and support needs. They were personalised and contained information on how people wished to receive their care and support. Care plans were reviewed regularly, and changes recorded where required. People were supported to live healthier lives and had choice and control over the care they received. People and their representatives were involved in planning and reviewing their care and support. People received information and advice that was accurate, up-to-date and provided in a way that they could understand, and which met their communication needs.

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 told us they were involved in planning their care and support and were able to share their preferences for how they wished to receive care. People told us they were supported by staff who knew them well.

Care plans reflected people’s care and support needs. They were personalised and contained information on how people wished to receive their care and support. Care plans were reviewed regularly, and changes recorded where required.

People received care and support from a service that understood their health and social care needs.

The service worked alongside other health and social care professionals to ensure they met people’s needs.

There was evidence in care plans of involvement from other health professionals which staff told us they followed.

Information was shared between teams and services to ensure continuity of care, for example, we saw evidence of occupational therapy and speech and language therapy input in people’s care plans.

People received information and advice that was accurate, up-to-date and provided in a way they could understand, and which met their communication needs.

Since 2016 all organisations that provide publicly funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard. The Accessible Information Standard tells organisations what they have to do to help ensure people with a disability or sensory loss, and in some circumstances, their carers, get information in a way they can understand it. It also says that people should get the support they need in relation to communication. The registered manager said information could be made available in different formats to support people’s understanding.

People’s communication needs were identified in their individual care plans. This meant staff were able to communicate with people in their preferred manner.

People and their relatives felt confident that any concerns or complaints raised would be taken seriously and acted upon. Comments included, “No complaints and we have phone numbers for office staff. [staff member] rings us and asks us about her care.”

People knew how to give feedback about their experiences of care and support including how to raise any concerns or issues and could do so in a range of accessible ways. Complaints were listened to and responded to in line with the providers policy. Learning from complaints and concerns was seen as an opportunity for improvement.

A log of complaints was in place which recorded the actions taken and any outcomes of complaints.

People were supported by a service who were aware of discrimination and inequality that could disadvantage some people from accessing care and support. For example, where people’s first language was not English staff had been sourced who were able to speak to them in their language. One relative told us, “We are really fortunate as one of the carers can speak Urdu as well as English which makes things so much easier.”

The service supported people to access care, treatment and support when they needed to and in a way that worked for them, which promoted equality, removed barriers or delays and protected their rights.

Management arrangements were in place to support staff providing out of hours care.

People were supported by the provider to give their views. Care plans were regularly reviewed, and people and their relatives were invited to share their views on care via telephone calls from office staff and surveys.

Staff told us people were able to raise any concerns and suggestions about their care and this would be shared with office staff for action when required.

The provider made reasonable adjustments to support equity in experience and outcomes. For example, they had recently recruited a member of staff to support a person whose first language was not English. This meant the person was able to express their views and wishes about the care they received.

People were supported to make informed choices about their care and plan their future care.

People were involved with discussions about their future care should they wish, and this would be recorded in their care plan.

Care plans we reviewed evidenced appropriate input from health professionals such as GPs and district nurses. At this current time the service did not provide end of life care.