Steps Support

COVID-19 protocols and risk assessments were in place and staff received appropriate training and ample PPE. Where risk assessments needed to be more person-centred the provider acted promptly.

We have made a recommendation about risk assessments.

People's relatives spoke highly of staff, as did external professionals who had worked with 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 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: • The care and support in place maximised people's choice, control and independence.

Right care: • Support was person-centred support, appropriate and inclusive.

Right culture: • The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff supported people to lead inclusive and empowered lives.

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.

Relatives told us staff were caring, kind, and often went out of their way to ensure people felt safe and supported. People and their relatives were fully involved in the care planning and review process.

There was a positive culture at the service; staff supported each other when there were unexpected absences and the provider had not had to use agency staff. Staff felt involved in the running of the service and their opinions valued.

There were systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality of care being provided. Where these could be improved to focus more on ensuring good practice was in place, the registered managers were responsive to feedback.