The Kent Autistic Trust - 11a Curlew Crescent

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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s outcomes were consistently good, and people’s feedback confirmed this.

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’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. People’s care and support plans considered all aspects of their physical and social needs. People’s needs were assessed using a range of assessment tools. For example, staff used the Abbey pain scale. The Abbey pain scale is a tool designed for assessing pain in people who are unable to communicate verbally. It focuses on vocalization, facial expression, body language, behaviour, physiological, and physical changes to help identify pain levels.

People’s needs were re-assessed if there were changes to their health and referrals were made to other healthcare professionals when appropriate.

People’s relatives told us they were involved in regular reviews of their care. One relative told us, ‘On an annual basis [person] has a review, myself or [other relative] go to Curlew, speak with the key worker and the worker from the council, [persons] needs don’t fluctuate, they’re just keeping an eye on everything.’

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. The registered manager ensured best practice guidance regarding people’s oral health was incorporated into their support plans. Oral health assessments were in place for people which included how to identify oral pain for that person. People were supported regularly to see a dentist and one person was regularly supported to see a specialist dentist. Staff we spoke with confirmed they supported people with their oral health.

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services. People receive care from a range of different services and it was co-ordinated effectively. For example, people were supported by other health professionals such as epilepsy consultants and nurses. Staff ensured they could share information that was relevant and up to date. Staff told us if there were changes to people’s care following appointments, this was reflected in their care and support plans.

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support. People were supported and encouraged to eat a healthier diet whilst recognising the importance of making their own choices. People’s relatives told us staff supported their loved ones to take part in physical activities to retain their mobility, one relative told us, ‘They do loads of activities, they asked if [person] could have the ability to go swimming whenever he wants, he enjoys that, he is doing exercise and walks and he’s getting a lot of exercise.’

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. People were supported to see their GP and have annual checks up and monitor their health conditions. People were supported to visit other services such as opticians to monitor their eyesight and prescribe or change their glasses where needed. One relative told us, ‘They support [person] to go to the dentist in London, [person] also has vaccinations. Staff support [person] to the opticians for glasses, [person] loves their glasses.’

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. People’s views and wishes were taken into account when their care was planned. People’s care plans clearly detailed their wishes, choices and preferences. One relative told us, ‘Staff respect [persons] wishes. The staff have that understanding and knowledge.’

The registered manager ensured people’s capacity was assessed. If it was determined they did not have capacity to consent to certain aspects of their care, a best interest meeting was held. A Best Interest Meeting isa multidisciplinary meeting that is arranged for a specific decisionaround a person’s care, which involves hearing the views from family and other professionals.