Support for Living Domiciliary Care Agency

At the time of our inspection, 125 people were receiving support with personal care across 25 different supported living houses.

The staff were well trained, supported and knowledgeable. They demonstrated a good understanding of the people they were caring for and were able to use a variety of communication methods to allow people to make choices and have control over their lives. The staff were able to access the training and support they needed and felt valued.

The provider had effective systems for addressing concerns and making improvements to the service. They undertook quality checks and responded appropriately when things went wrong. People using the service, their families and staff felt managers were approachable, open, and listened to them.

There were local and provider level strategies to promote human rights and improve the quality of people's experiences. For example, the provider had improved the way they supported staff and people using the service with protected characteristics to feel included, safe and respected.

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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right support: People were supported to live within settings that met their individual needs. There was a robust assessment process which included involving people, their families and other stakeholders to make sure care was personalised and maximised people's choice while meeting their needs. People were supported to learn independent living skills and take risks to enhance their quality of life.

Right care: Care was provided in a person-centred way which promoted people's dignity and rights. Their lifestyle choices, religion, sexuality, culture and disabilities were respected and they were given the right care and support to live their lives to the full.

Right culture: There was a positive culture where staff were committed to caring for people. They knew people well and wanted to support them in a personalised way. They felt a sense of pride in people's achievements and happiness. The leadership created positives values and behaviours which were embedded and echoed throughout the service and in the day to day support of people being cared for.