Choice Independent Living Limited

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• 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

Staff knew people’s needs, including cultural needs. Staff said they discussed people’s wishes for their support at the end of their lives, and also following their death, with them or their families, although this was not always recorded. Relatives said communication with the service was good and they were able to raise any questions or concerns with the registered manager or management team. They said these would be addressed straight away. People and relatives were positive about the care and support they received. Staff knew people’s needs and how to support them. Relatives had been involved in agreeing people’s care and support when they had been discharged from hospital and were involved in reviewing these needs. Contact details were available in people’s homes for all relevant professionals. Staff were able to contact them directly when needed.

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 relatives were involved in planning and agreeing their care and support. A relative said, “They’ve been twice to update the care plan, we’re fully involved in the discussions.”

The care coordinator and team leaders wrote the initial care plans, following a visit to meet people’s families. Care plans were regularly reviewed and updated for any changes in people’s support. Staff said they were made aware of people’s needs when they started to support them and when there were any changes.

Relatives said they had been involved with the management team prior to their relative being discharged from hospital so the care and support was in place when they arrived home. A relative said, “The carers were here when the paramedics brought [Name] home from hospital.”

A team leader was assigned to work in the office each week. They were then available to quickly complete initial visits to people to assess people’s support needs to enable a quick discharge from hospital. The team leader also checked that any equipment the person required was in place. We were told other professionals, for example District Nurses, were responsive when called for support.

The commissioning body said Choice Independent Living were very responsive when a new support package was needed. There was good communication with the service and people’s needs were assessed and met.

From the initial information provided the service planned if they were able to complete the calls requested and had the skills to meet people’s needs. Team leaders were available to complete an assessment of needs with people’s family before the person was discharged from hospital. This took into account the family’s wishes for the support.

People and relatives said the service had been explained to them at the initial assessment meeting. A file was available in each person’s home which included contact details for the service and other professionals involved in the person’s care.

Staff said most people were able to verbally communicate their needs. Where possible the service allocated staff who could speak the person’s first language. If this was not possible the staff said they worked with people’s families around communication.

Each person had a file in their homes providing information about the service and contact numbers.

People and relatives said they were able to contact the office if they had any issues or concerns. They said these had been acted upon by the management team. A relative said, “I’ve spoken to [registered manager] 3 or 4 times, and I’ve always found him very responsive.” They also said the service contacted them to ask for feedback about the support provided.

Team leaders said that part of the spot checks they completed included asking people, or their relatives, for their feedback on the support they received. The registered manager said any issues raised with them had been dealt with straight away, including with them visiting people or their relatives to discuss the issues and agree solutions.

A complaints policy was in place. No formal complaints had been received.

Relatives said other professionals were involved in people’s support when needed, for example, GP or district nurses.

Staff said they contacted other health professionals when needed. All relevant contact details were available in each property. We were told the response was generally good.

Partners said referrals to other professionals were appropriate. For example, referrals to the District Nurse team where the service thought the support hours needed to be increased had always been agreed and the increase had been approved.

Where people’s needs changed the service would contact the district nurses and commissioning team to review the support needed.

People were positive about the support provided by Choice Independent Support and how their needs were being met. A relative said, “It’s been first class to be honest, really good” and another told us, “They do the night pop ins. It gives me a lot of peace of mind to know that someone was going in.”

Staff understood people’s cultural needs, including for the treatment of people’s bodies after their death. Staff said they spoke with people and their families about their cultural needs.

Choice Independent Living responded to requests for support from the commissioners and worked closely with other professionals to meet people’s needs.

People said the staff worked with them to meet people’s wishes for the future. A relative said, “Staff knew the support [Name] needed and worked with us as a family. Whatever was needed they did for us.”

Staff said they worked with people’s families to ensure the person’s wishes for the end of their lives and how their body was to be treated after death were met.

Most people supported by Choice Independent Living were approaching the end of their lives. People, and their family’s wishes were discussed during the initial assessment. This included any cultural requirements.