MacIntyre Ampthill Support

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 provider met people’s needs.

At our last inspection we rated this key question Good. At this inspection 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.

The provider made sure people received person-centred care that was in line with their preferences, likes and dislikes. Staff and the management team knew people well and knew how they wanted to be supported. They made changes to people’s support if it became clear people wanted to be supported differently or if they discovered a new like or dislike. People’s care plans were individualised and detailed how people wanted to be supported in line with their individual likes and dislikes. We saw staff supporting people as individuals in line with their individual preferences. For example, staff supported people to take part in past times they were interested in such as taking part in arts and crafts or going out in the community to visit places of interest. One person said, ‘‘I do [listed what interests they followed on a daily basis]. It is good actually.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘[Family member] is 100% supported to do what they want and live how they choose. We would know about it if not.’’

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity. Staff supported people to get in contact with health professionals if this was necessary. People were actively supported to be a part of their community and to follow their interests outside of the service. For example, people had been supported to have jobs, attend college or follow other interests such as horse riding or going for long walks in nature. One person happily showed us photographs of what they had been supported to do recently in the community, and this had clearly meant a lot to them. People had a consistent staff team, and the management team made the effort for staff to work primarily at one ‘supported living setting’ to promote continuity of care. One relative told us, ‘‘There is a consistent staff team now and this really shows in how happy [family member] is.’’

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs. Staff knew how to support people with different communication needs, such as using signs or objects to help them communicate. We saw staff using objects to help a person make a choice about what they wanted to eat and drink. Another person had a visual schedule which they used to help them know what was happening throughout the day. The management team made sure information such as policies and procedures were available in easy read and accessible formats. One relative told us, ‘‘[Family member] uses [signs] to communicate but they change a lot so staff make the effort to keep up with them.’’

Overall, the provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result. The management and staff team made sure people, and their relatives were given the opportunity to feed back about their care and support regularly. Some relatives told us communication between them and the management team could be improved. The management team met with them immediately during the inspection to discuss how this could be better supported and improved. Staff held individual meetings with people to discuss their support and any recent experiences they had which they enjoyed. Staff took time to listen to people as they were being supported throughout the day. This enabled people to feed back about how they were being supported at every opportunity. One person said, ‘‘I always talk with the staff.’’ We saw minutes of meetings where staff had discussed how people’s support was going with them.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. Staff supported people to contact health professionals such as GP’s or the emergency services if this was necessary. They followed professionals’ advice to help make sure people were supported safely. Staff advocated for people when they went to their appointments. People were supported to use equipment to support them to be more independent if this was necessary. One person said, ‘‘Staff are helping me learn [communication method.]’’ They then proceeded to tell us what certain signs meant in this form of communication. This had a positive impact for the person.

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and they met the expectations of people and their relatives. People had been supported to have good experiences at the service and achieve positive outcomes. 1 person had been supported to make items and sell them to people and also teach other people how to make the items. The person excitedly told us about this and gave us a leaflet about how to purchase these items. This meant a lot to the person. Other people had jobs working with animals or attended college and there was evidence to show how much people enjoyed this. People had also been supported to be independent and learn new skills in relation to daily living. For example, people made and prepared their own meals and drinks or learnt to access the community independently. Staff were proactive in discussing and organising things for people to do that interested them such as meals out or theatre shows. They told us how important it was for people to be supported to achieve goals both in their home and in the community and how this was a primary aim for them when they supported people. One relative told us, ‘‘[Family member] is always very busy and goes out and about all the time. They are having their best life.’’

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. People had been supported to put plans in place for the future including the end of their lives. Staff knew who to contact for support if people needed help at the end of their life. Most people had lived at the service for a number of years and staying there in the future was important to them. The management team told us how supporting people to stay at the service was a key priority for them and they would do whatever was needed to support people to live at the service for as long as they were able to.