Access for Living

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs. At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People and their relatives told us they received personalised care that met their needs and preferences. Comments included, “[Family member] does many things of their own choosing. They like music and dancing and have a preferred shopping routine” and “Family member goes out and about and loves their life, they come to me, out with their pals and has a better social life than anyone I know.” Staff were positive about how they worked to ensure people received person-centred care. One member of staff told us, “I think we really care about people and provide personalised support. Everything is tailored to people’s individual needs and preferences. That’s what we do well.” There was detailed information in place about people’s preferred routines and preferences in relation to their personal care.

The service understood the diverse health and care needs of people, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. Relatives told us the service was good at advocating on behalf of people to ensure all their health and social care needs were understood so they could access all the relevant help and support they needed. One relative told us, “Access for Living have been great they have organised bereavement counselling and they went for the autism diagnosis which has made a big difference.” People also told us they were supported by familiar staff that knew them well. One relative told us, “Lots of the staff have been there many years and it’s like a family.”

People were given appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to their needs. The provider was working in line with the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). Policies and procedures, support plans and meeting minutes were available in accessible formats. People’s communication needs were assessed and communication plans put in place with input from speech and language therapists when needed. Staff showed a good understanding of people’s varied communication styles. One member of staff said, “Everyone has different strengths and ways of communicating. Some people have very few words, but you get to know their preferred signs and body language.” Relatives of people were also positive about how the provider supported communication. One relative told us, “There is a move to increase [family member’s] Makaton skills, and those of the staff. We are pleased about this.” Makaton is a communication system used by people with communication difficulties that uses signs, symbols, and speech to support communication.

People were listened to and involved in the planning of their care and support. Some people receiving care also took part in the recruitment and selection of staff. The provider also made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas or raise complaints about their care and support. There was a complaints policy in an accessible format to help people understand how to raise a complaint. People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns about care. One relative said, “I am really happy, I know where to go if there's a problem.” People told us managers responded whenever issues or concerns were raised, and they took action to resolve things. Comments included, “I have raised points before and things have been sorted, there’s never been an atmosphere afterwards.” People also told us there were a range of opportunities to engage with staff and leaders and give feedback about the service. One relative told us, “We get a survey, and we get invited to get togethers, things work well for us.”

The service made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. People told us the provider checked in with them and reviewed their needs on a regular basis, and if further support was needed, they would help them to access the necessary care. We reviewed samples of correspondence between the provider and the relevant health and social care professionals which confirmed the provider responded to any change in people’s needs appropriately. Relatives also told us the provider ensured people’s home environment was adapted to meet their mobility needs. One relative told us, “They changed the downstairs bathroom to a wet room for [family member] it works much better.”

The provider was aware of the groups of people who were at risk of discrimination, and they worked to address any possible barriers. Staff and leaders worked in partnership with local advocacy groups to get a better understanding of the challenges faced by autistic people and people with learning disabilities generally and in the local community. They also worked with people and advocates to help people challenge decisions about their care provision.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. The service supported people to devise end of life plans which contained information about their funeral wishes including any religious and cultural needs they had. The service also worked with a local hospice to devise an end-of-life plan for someone with a terminal illness which enabled them to remain in their home and continue being cared for by familiar staff at the end of their life. The service organised regular review meetings with people and their representatives to help make ongoing future plans. One relative told us, “In terms of future, [family member] has an annual holiday and regular celebrations of birthdays and family events, they want for nothing and looks forward all the time.”