Link-Ability (West Lancs)

People's experience of using this service: People who used the service and their representatives told us they were supported in a safe way, we found staff had good understanding of safeguarding adults and systems were robust to protect people from avoidable harm, neglect and abuse. People who used the service were encouraged to manage their medicines in a safe way and for those who needed staff support to manage their medicines, we found the service followed best practice procedures. People were individually risk assessed and environmental safety risk assessments were undertaken and reviewed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's needs and choices were assessed and their care and support was delivered to achieve effective outcomes.

People who used the service were supported to maintain a balanced diet and nutritional assessments were undertaken in a person-centred way. The provider made sure staff were safely recruited and supported throughout their employment. Staff received training that helped them understand the needs of people they supported.

People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion and given emotional support when needed. Care plans included person-centred information and we found people were encouraged to maintain their independence. People's individual needs and interests were well understood by the staff that supported them.

People who accessed the service for supported living or domiciliary care were encouraged to maintain an independent lifestyle as much as possible and the service demonstrated an inclusive ethos that enabled people to be in control of their lives.

We observed staff support and interact with people in a kind way. We saw that staff had built trusting relationships with people who accessed the service and staff told us this was a key part to keeping people safe.

The service had a robust system for responding to people's complaints and collating feedback. People were

consistently positive about the leadership and management of the service. We found that the provider had effective management systems to monitor and quality assure all aspects of the service. Quality assurance records showed that shortfalls were quickly addressed and learnt from.