Autism Together - 41 Church Road

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. A staff member told us, “It’s a really nice house, the people we support are fab.” We observed people being treated with dignity and respect by staff who knew them well and people told us they were happy living in the service. One person commented, “I am happy. I give it 8/10. I don’t expect perfection.”

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. People’s care plans were designed around their needs and were regularly reviewed and monitored. Religious beliefs were known. Staff respected people’s decisions within the service. For example, where people chose to eat their meals or how they chose to spend their time.

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff encouraged people to make day to day choices and do as much as they could for themselves. We observed people preparing their own meals and taking responsibility for their own laundry. People were also encouraged to be as independent as possible with their own finances.

People were supported to maintain and develop important relationships and there were no restrictions on people receiving visitors. People told us they also went to visit their families on a regular basis.

People had plenty of opportunities to participate in activities both at home and in the community. People made full use of local public transport and visited many places they enjoyed including a day service, cafes, shops and long walks.

The provider listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress. We observed people were supported by staff who knew them well. Detailed plans were in place which guided staff to respond appropriately and effectively to situations which could create distress or anxiety for people.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. The provider had systems to reward and recognise staff. This included an annual awards event and going ‘above and beyond’ vouchers. Staff also had access to employee benefits and assistance schemes.