Aspire Hub 1

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. This is the first assessment for this registered service. This key question has been rated 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.

We observed positive and meaningful interactions between people and staff. Staff were patient in their approach, spoke to people respectfully and adapted their communication to meet individual needs.

People appeared relaxed and comfortable in the presence of staff and confidently approached them for support and reassurance.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of maintaining confidentiality and protecting people's privacy. Staff explained how dignity was promoted during personal care and daily support through maintaining privacy, respecting people's wishes and ensuring people remained comfortable during support.

During the assessment, one person became upset whilst discussing concerns relating to another person living within the service grounds. Staff responded immediately in a calm and compassionate manner, offering reassurance and emotional support. This enabled the person to become reassured and settled.

People spoke positively about the support they received. One person told us, "The staff are nice, it's a beautiful home. If I'm unhappy, I tell somebody and they help me with anything that I need."

The provider treated people as individuals and ensured care, support and treatment consistently reflected their needs, preferences, strengths, aspirations, cultural backgrounds and protected characteristics. People's individuality was recognised and respected, resulting in positive outcomes and person-centred support.

The service demonstrated good outcomes in relation to treating people as individuals. Staff showed a detailed understanding of the people they supported. One member of staff said, “I've been here for six years, so I know them pretty well.” Another told us, “I know them very well, I know when they're okay and when they're not feeling well.”

Support plans reflected people's individual needs, preferences, communication requirements, risks and aspirations. They contained person-centred information about what was important to people and how they wished to be supported.

People were encouraged and supported to pursue interests and activities that were meaningful to them. Activity timetables and daily records evidenced regular participation in community-based activities aligned with individual preferences, including shopping, visits to charity shops, college attendance, cooking sessions, bowling, cinema trips, community events and social activities.

People's bedrooms reflected their personalities and preferences through photographs, personal belongings and individual decoration. One person described their home as, “I'm staying here forever. It's my den.”

Records reviewed during Learning Disability Week evidenced people were involved in a range of inclusive activities, including a football tournament, Bake Off competition, Big Sunflower Walk, picnic in the park, beach party and Shine Awards celebrations. These opportunities promoted inclusion, achievement and meaningful participation in line with people's interests and aspirations.

The provider promoted people's independence and supported them to understand their rights, make decisions and have choice and control over their care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible and ensured support was provided in a way that respected people's preferences and autonomy.

People were encouraged to make decisions about their daily lives and were supported to maintain and develop their independence wherever possible. Staff understood the importance of enabling people to exercise choice and control over how they lived their lives and consistently described supporting people to make their own decisions.

Staff provided examples of how choice was embedded into daily practice, including decisions about meals, clothing, activities and support arrangements. One member of staff told us, “You always give people lots of choice so they can choose. You don't decide for them.” Another member of staff said, “We always give them the option about the staff they want; we're in their home.” This demonstrated staff recognised the importance of respecting people's rights and preferences.

During the assessment, we observed people discussing meal choices and planning their daily activities. Records showed people were encouraged to participate in household tasks, food preparation and community-based activities according to their abilities and preferences. One member of staff explained, “We don't do things, we encourage them and support them.” This approach helped people maintain skills and maximise their independence.

People spoke positively about the level of choice and control they experienced. One person told us, “Nobody stops me going now. I enjoy going out and I can do what I want.” They also said, “I choose the staff who I go out with.”

Some relatives felt there were further opportunities to promote independence for people. However, overall, the evidence demonstrated people were supported to make choices, exercise their rights and maintain control over their daily lives, care and wellbeing.

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.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of how they became aware of changes in people's needs. They described using handovers, support plans, electronic care records, communication books and management updates to ensure information was shared effectively.

A staff member demonstrated a proactive approach to maintaining continuity of care, telling us, "If I'm off for a week, I don't wait for them to tell me, I go and ask myself if anything has changed."

Daily records evidenced ongoing monitoring of people's wellbeing and support needs, with information recorded throughout the day to ensure any concerns or changes could be identified and acted upon promptly.

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

Staff were supported through systems designed to promote effective practice, development and accountability. A supervision matrix reviewed evidenced regular supervision had taken place during the previous 12 months. Appraisal records also demonstrated annual performance reviews were being completed.

A training matrix was reviewed and provided oversight of mandatory and specialist training. Where gaps had been identified, management had implemented an action plan to improve compliance.

Staff described positive communication and support from management. Team meeting records demonstrated regular opportunities for staff to receive updates, discuss concerns, share learning and contribute to service improvements.

Staff comments suggested an open culture where concerns could be raised appropriately, and management support was available when needed.