The Kent Autistic Trust - 118 Beaver Lane

The Kent Autistic Trust – 118 Beaver Lane is a unique service which has a mixture of self-contained flats and bedrooms with shared communal spaces.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent. Staff recognised that people had the capacity to make day to day choices and supported them to do so. People were encouraged and supported to be independent. People were engaging in the community, for example utilising their local community to use ordinary community resources, shops, access day services and activities to ensure they had a good day. People were also supported to take holidays both in the UK and abroad.

The provider and staff continued to be exceptionally responsive and worked continuously to make improvements to the service and provide people with high quality care. The provider and staff demonstrated a detailed knowledge of the people they supported and over time had developed trusting relationships with them, so that people felt safe receiving support. The provider had been extremely responsive to people's needs and designed services specifically to meet people's changing needs. People were happy and smiling. The sounds and movements people made mirrored the descriptions of the 'happy' sounds and movements within their care records. Relatives were extremely happy with the service. Relatives told us, "I'm really happy with Beaver Lane and [registered manager] and the staff. Most staff have been there a long time" and "Staff are kind and caring."

People were supported to have 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.

The service continued to provide outstanding care and support to people enabling them to live as fulfilled and meaningful lives as possible. The service was innovative and used assistive technology to enable people to be as independent as possible, such as electronic tablets, smart speakers and flashing doorbells. People were able to have privacy and independence with staff accessible nearby. People who had previously displayed behaviours that other people may find challenging were able to live their life to their fullest potential.

The leadership and coaching provided by the registered manager and provider's team ensured that staff had a full understanding of people's support needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. Staff had received training, regular supervisions and appraisals. Staff were encouraged to continuously learn and develop by completing qualifications and additional learning. The provider continued to work with other organisations to ensure staff received current and best practice training and information.

Staff were extremely positive about the support they received from every member of the Kent Autistic Trust from the chief executive to colleagues. Every staff member enjoyed working with people with autism. Every staff member demonstrated passion and commitment to providing the best possible care and opportunities for people to live life to the full. This had led to a positive workplace culture, with staff feeling their voices were listened to. Staff told us they were proud of working for the organisation, and would be happy to have them care for their own family.

People had positive relationships with support staff that knew them well. There were enough staff available to meet people's needs and give individual care and support. Staff had been recruited safely. There was a strong emphasis on person-centred care. People were supported to plan their support where possible and they received a service that was based on their individual needs and wishes. The service was flexible and responded to changes in people's needs.

Care plans clearly detailed people's preferred routines, wishes and preferences. They detailed what people were able to do for themselves and what support was required from staff to aid their independence wherever possible. People were involved in review meetings about their support and aspirations. They were involved in setting goals and targets and were supported by staff to achieve these.

Staff and people received additional support and guidance from the provider's positive behaviour support team and strategies were in place to manage any incidents of heightened anxiety. Staff received regular support from their manager.