Outlook Care - Summit Road

People knew how to give feedback and were confident the service took it seriously and acted on it. The service was easy to access and worked to eliminate discrimination. People received care that was fair with equal treatment. The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff. Staff told us they felt valued and were treated in a way that supported their wellbeing. The provider made sure that people could access the care and support they needed when they needed it. Reasonable adjustments were made to ensure equal access to the service for all.

However, the provider did not always routinely monitor people's care and treatment to continuously improve it. While fluid intake was being monitored, records did not provide clear guidance on the level at which concerns should be escalated if an individual's intake fell below their target amount. This meant low fluid intake may not always be escalated and responded to appropriately.

In addition, staff had not always sought sufficient clarity regarding some individuals’ medical conditions to ensure they had adequate information about their care needs. Risk assessments were also not always reviewed and updated to ensure they remained current and reflected people's changing needs and associated risks.

However, staff told us they were familiar with people’s risk assessments and understood the risks associated with their care and support needs. The provider supported people to be involved in identifying and managing risks to their health, safety, and wellbeing. The provider took prompt and appropriate improvement actions in response to the concerns identified during this inspection.

We have assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ guidance to make judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. We found that the provider was meeting the principles of Right Support, Right Care, Right Culture. People were supported to have maximum choice and control over 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.