Carers Break Community Interest Company

At the time of the assessment the service supported 49 people, 5 of these were receiving personal care. Visits were a minimum of 2 hours.

The service supports people living with dementia, physical disabilities, sensory impairments, mental health conditions and people with a learning disability and autistic people. Therefore, we considered 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.

The assessment looked at all the key questions; safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Following the assessment we have rated the service good overall and outstanding in caring.

There were enough staff to support people. Staff told us they felt well supported and consistently spoke highly about the service, one said “I love the company, there is always someone there and it is like a big family.”

Staff completed training in core subjects the provider identified as necessary, this included training in supporting people with a learning disability or autistic people. People were normally supported by small teams who knew them well and understood their individual needs and preferences. There was a very strong emphasis on the provision of activities and reducing social isolation.

People were protected from abuse and risks to their safety had been identified and mitigated. Care plans accurately reflected people’s current needs and staff documented the care they provided.

The service’s culture and values were centred on kindness, honesty and integrity, supported by a well-trained workforce. The registered manager told us, “Kindness is the gateway to everything”.

Care staff consistently demonstrated compassionate and person centre care. They always looked for ways to improve people’s lives and were very proud and motivated to work for the organisation.

The service worked effectively with other healthcare professionals, sharing information appropriately and escalating any health concerns to the relevant agency appropriately.