Next Step Support Limited

Next Step Support Limited support people within ten supported living schemes in and around London, Bedford, Luton and Hertfordshire. The supported living schemes are located within residential areas as part of the local community and vary in size. Each project is a residential house or building within which people have their own flats.

We saw positive and caring interactions between people and support staff. People were observed to know the support staff well and were comfortable and confident around them.

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 guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting some of the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. The model of care and setting maximises people's choice, control and independence. Care is person-centred and promotes people's dignity, privacy and human rights. The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives

Support staff understood how to safeguard people from abuse and the actions they would take to report their concerns.

People's individualised risks associated with their health, care and social needs were comprehensively assessed giving clear guidance to staff on how to minimise the identified risks to keep people safe.

Medicines management and administration was safe. People received their medicines on time and as prescribed.

Support staff recruited were appropriately checked and assessed to ensure their suitability for the role and to ensure they were safe to work with vulnerable adults.

People's needs were comprehensively assessed prior to any placement and support plan being agreed to confirm the service could effectively meet their needs.

Support staff received appropriate training and support to carry out their role effectively.

People were appropriately supported with their nutrition and hydration which considered any specialist dietary requirements.

People were supported with their health and medical needs where required. We saw records where the service had requested specific involvement from specialist services to address people's health and care needs.

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.

Support plans were person centred and comprehensive giving clear information about people's care needs and how they wished to be supported.

Management oversight processes in place enabled the provider to monitor the quality and people's experiences of the care and support that they received. Where issues were identified action and improvement plans were in place to address these.