Diverse Abilities Plus - Supported Living

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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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.

Staff treated people with kindness and empathy, respecting their privacy and dignity. People and relatives told us staff were kind and respectful to them and their family members. This was mirrored in the way staff talked and interacted with people during this inspection. It was also reflected in how staff spoke about people, with us and with each other.

People and relatives felt most staff knew and understood them or their family member. During our visits, staff talked with people about their hobbies and interests. At the last inspection relatives had mixed views about how well staff knew people, with reports of changing care teams and agency staff. People and relatives now reported having a largely regular team of staff. The registered managers told us the new resource planner role had enabled this continuity for people.

Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. The service had received a compliment about their kindness and support towards agency staff.

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.

Staff understood people’s individual needs and preferences, which were reflected in their care and support. Care plans reflected people as individuals, including their strengths, needs and what was important to them. There was clear, personalised detail about what people liked and enjoyed, their dislikes, their routines and people who were important to them. Staff used people's preferred communication methods, which care plans explained, and had the relevant training to enable this.

Staff promoted people’s independence and choice, so people knew their rights and had control, as far as possible, over their own lives. People pursued their chosen hobbies and activities, at home and out. They had any adapted equipment they needed, such as mobility aids, to promote their independence. Staff understood the importance of people's choice and independence, reflecting it in how they spoke about supporting people and in the care notes they recorded. Care plans highlighted what people were able to do for themselves, and staff respected this.

People had support as required to maintain relationships and networks that were important to them. People and relatives told us about keeping in touch and meeting up with their family members and friends. Staff respected people's right to have intimate relationships, provided they were able to consent to these. Where there were concerns a person might not understand the implications of their relationship, staff worked with them and their health and social care professionals to establish whether the person had capacity in this area and any education and support they might need.

Staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. They responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff prioritised people's needs, wishes and comfort. People and relatives said staff provided the support they needed without rushing them, including when people needed reassurance to do something they were apprehensive about. They described staff as "patient". Staff got to know people well and understood when something was wrong. Personalised care plans supported this with clear information about how people communicated happiness, pain and distress.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to deliver person-centred care.

Staff had regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service or staff experiences. If necessary, leaders provided a timely and considered response. Staff felt able to approach a supervisor or manager if they had concerns. They had regular supportive meetings with someone more senior to discuss their work, the impact it had on them, and any assistance they needed from the provider, such as additional training. Overall, staff felt well supported, although some were still adjusting to recent organisational changes. Within the past year the provider had restructured the roles of supervisory staff as part of their plan to improve oversight of the service.

The registered managers were aware of the employer's legal responsibilities towards staff. People's risk assessments included details of any risks to staff and how to manage these. Staff had the training they needed to understand and respond to these risks, such as moving and handling training.