Barnet Supported Living Service

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment, and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence. At our last assessment we rated this key question outstanding. At this inspection, the service has remained outstanding. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently better than expected compared to similar services. People’s feedback described it as exceptional and distinctive

This service scored 88 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider always made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by thoroughly assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them.

Care provision started only after a carefully planned and holistic assessment of the individual’s needs, preferences, and aspirations had been completed. This thorough and person-centred approach involved meaningful engagement with the person and their family, alongside close collaboration with health and social care professionals already involved in their support. Where appropriate, staff would work with previous care providers to ensure a thorough understanding of the person’s needs, and the support required to meet them effectively.

The assessment process included introducing carefully selected staff to the person and their family, so they could choose who would be part of their support team. A relative told us they felt “very involved” the assessment process.

Care and support were continuously reviewed and adapted to remain responsive to the person’s evolving needs. Any changes were implemented promptly, ensuring the support provided remained effective in making sure people experienced the best possible outcomes.

We did not look at Delivering evidence-based care and treatment during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Effective.

The provider always worked well across teams and services to support people. They shared changes in people’s physical and emotional health promptly with appropriate health and social care professionals to make sure people benefited from a collaborative and inclusive approach.

Staff were positive and complimentary about their colleagues and how well they worked together. They told us they pulled together to support each other to help ensure people received the best care possible. They shared information with each other on a regular basis and worked well with each other across all of the different ‘supported living settings’ at the service. Staff worked well with other professionals, such as GP’s and nurses, and followed their advice when it came to supporting people. One relative said, ‘‘The staff all seem to get on and communicate well.”

The provider actively and consistently involved multi-disciplinary teams in people’s care and support. A member of staff told us, “We have regular multi-team meetings for people with complex needs. We work alongside their GP, learning disability team, dietitian, social worker and family to come up with the best outcomes."

The provider always supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to fully maximise their independence, choice and control.

The provider worked collaboratively and persistently to make sure people were supported to maximise their health and therefore their quality of life.

People told us they were encouraged and supported to make healthier choices to help promote and maintain their health and wellbeing. For example, staff supported people with eating and drinking, personal care and oral hygiene.

When a person presented as being unwell or had changes in their behaviour, staff looked at a wide range of factors which may have contributed to this and set out a plan of actions to address each one. This included changes in diet and routines.

The provider monitored all people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they fully met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. The provider had effective systems and processes in place to ensure leaders were always up to date with changes to people’s clinical and quality of life outcomes

Each person had a personal development and support plan. The person’s aspirations were listed along with details about what staff needed to do to support the person to achieve their goals. This included any related risk assessments, possible adjustments to their living environment and instructions for staff, where appropriate, to work with the person at their own speed.

Examples of improved outcomes included 1 person no longer being dependent on medicine. Since stopping it, the person showed excellent progress, displaying little to no incidents of distressed behaviour. This demonstrated increased independence and emotional stability. For another person, a series of workshops with a therapist promoted better self-care skills using a system to reward completed personal care tasks. Another person, who wanted to have a relationship, participated in a series of workshops about relationships that were set up by the provider to promote understanding of positive relationships, boundaries, expectations and acceptable behaviours. Another example was a person who had moved in following a long spell in a secure mental health unit who was unable to communicate or engage with the community and other service users. Working with regular staff they are now able to access the community and engage with people without the previous challenges they faced.

Where people had set long term goals and aspirations, a plan was put in place detailing the steps required to support them to be successful.

People told us they were consulted by staff in all aspects of their care and support, and their choices were respected.

The provider met the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Relatives told us staff asked for their consent and involved them in decisions about their relative’s care and support.

Capacity and consent support plans were pictorial and person-centred and detailed how staff should support the person to make decisions and how the person might communicate their consent or refusal. Support plans instructed staff to respect the person’s indication of not consenting in that moment.

Staff were knowledgeable around the principles of the MCA. They were able to give examples in relation to this. They told us they always sought consent before supporting people.

A relative told us, ‘‘[Staff] always act in [family member’s] best interests and discuss anything that needs discussing with me.’’