Equal Partnerships

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.

People's care needs were assessed and reviewed regularly. Care plans contained person-centred information about what was important for the person to be able to live their lives as they wished. People were supported by staff who knew them well. For example, we were told how the service had supported an individual to overcome their anxieties relating to public transport. The service had supported the person with accessing public transport which meant they were able to achieve their goal of going on holiday abroad. The staff member said "We have built trust between us which has helped us support (person) with accessing new opportunities and opened up their world. We would do anything to make them happy."

People's safety was at the forefront of everything the service did. Risks were appropriately assessed and managed. People were supported to take positive risks to enable them to live fulfilling lives and maximise their independence. For example, some people had said they wanted to remain at home without staff support for short periods of time. Guidance was in place to support both the staff and person to do this safely.

Systems were in place to support the safe management of medicines. People had varying levels of support needs around their abilities to manage their own medicines. Wherever possible people were supported to take their medicines independently.

The provider followed safe recruitment practices. People were actively involved in recruiting and choosing their own staff. People were able to be involved in writing their own job advertisements for their care staff. The registered manager told us, in line with the Reach Standards, people could choose to have alternative care providers for either part or all of their care package if they wished. They said they would actively support people to do this, involving advocates if required.

There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs safely. Staffing was organised flexibly to support people to be able to access their chosen activities such as community activities, employment, activities within their home and identified one to one activities. Staff were recruited and allocated to designated teams, who supported a small number of people who accessed the service. The registered manager explained this was to ensure people received consistency with their care and support, by staff who knew them extremely well.

People were supported by staff who spoke passionately about wanting to provide high quality care to them. There was evidence of trusting and caring relationships between staff and people who visited us at the offices. Staff were compassionate and caring when they spoke about the care and support they provided to people. Staff comments included "I believe we support people to be independent in this house. It's the little everyday things that are important to people. We don't do things for people, we encourage them to be independent and keep their skills. We enable them which is key", and "We fit around the person. Rotas are flexible to make sure people are where they need/want to be. We do everything we can to make things happen for the person, to make sure we are person centred."

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 leadership and management were praised by people receiving the service, relatives and staff for their commitment and hard work to ensuring people received the care and support to meet their needs. One staff member told us "Our foundations are quite unique. Everything is focused on the person and what they want to do in life."

The organisation had as a standard the ethos to treat staff well. They had recently invested in a "well-being" programme to support them to understand the mental health and well-being needs of the staff. House managers had attended mental health training to support their understanding of mental health awareness for both people using the service and staff. One staff member said, "I have just completed training in two workbooks on mental health awareness. As a manager it is important for me to understand about the signs and symptoms of things such as anxiety and depression, so that I can support staff and people we support with their mental health needs."

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. In line with The Real Tenancy Test and Reach standards people had separate tenancy agreements and care contracts. These support people to have control of where and who they live with. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk