Adult Pathways 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 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 80 (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 people being treated with dignity and respect by staff who knew them well and people told us they were happy living within Adult Pathways 1. Some people did not like staff to enter their bedrooms. This was known and respected by staff. Staff were committed to providing respectful care. One staff member told us, “All staff try their best to make people happy.”

Family members spoke positively of the staff and the care people received. Comments included, “[Staff] are very good. I have total trust in [staff member]. She works so hard” and “We are very happy with the care [Name] is receiving.” One family member described the care their loved one received as, “Best thing that ever happened” and another told us, “I want to cry to know [Name] is so happy.”

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 and cultural needs were known, respected and when needed, appropriate support provided. A family member spoke with us in detail about their loved one’s specific needs and told us, “They have adapted everything to [Name’s] needs. He wouldn’t get this anywhere else.”

The provider had developed lots of information in alternative formats to the written word to help people understand important things and help them to make decisions. For example, information leaflets about people’s rights and health conditions were readily available. These were developed using PECS symbols. PECS symbols form part of a widely recognised communication system which uses pictures representing objects, actions, feelings or concepts to facilitate communication with those who were unable to rely on verbal speech or written words.

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. For example, some people we supported to prepare their own meals.

People were supported to maintain and develop important relationships and there were no restrictions on people receiving visitors. Regular social events were arranged for people and their families and friends to come together. A family member told us, “We visit often and are always made very welcome.” People were supported to visit family members outside of the service. One family commented, “We visit regularly at least once a week. We take [Name] to see [another family member] for a cup of tea. [Name’s] key worker comes with us as their epilepsy seizures are unpredictable.”

People had plenty of opportunities to participate in activities both within the service and in their local community. Some people spent time at the on-site farm whilst other people volunteered externally at a local farm. People and staff told us they made regular visits to the cinema, 10 pin bowling alleys and many places of interest. Some people liked to go shopping and out for meals whilst others preferred to spend their time within the grounds accessing on site facilities. A family member told us, “[Name] does exactly what he wants to do!”

Some people had secured volunteering and paid employment and were actively involved in the running of on-site facilities such as the shop, the café and the radio station. One person told us they enjoyed working in the on-site café, another person told us they were volunteering at the local football club, and another person was working in a local business. A family member told us how important this was to the person and described how the person speaks with them, ‘with pride’ about their employment.

Most people accessed the community using their own car or accessing one of the providers vehicles. Due to the rural location, there was very limited public transport facilities. One family member felt this restricted their loved on at times as they were dependent on staff being able to drive which we shared with staff however, we observed a lot of activity during our assessment.

People had the opportunity to go on holidays, which for some was a new experience. One family member told us, “[Name] hadn't been on holiday for 20 years, these small breaks were the best holiday's we could ever have imagined, staff were exceptional. [Name] has had the holiday we wanted for her. [Name] told staff and us, ‘This is the Best Birthday Ever’.” The family member added, “[Name] living at David Lewis is evidently the right environment meeting her needs very well, giving [Name] the opportunity to strive and achieve to be her best self and more importantly believing she can.”

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. The provider had a clinical team of nursing staff who were on site throughout the day and night to respond to immediate health needs. Family members valued this aspect of the service, and one told us, “They have on site nurses and doctors who are always called. But also, they call me and I go straight over.”

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. For example, staff had been nominated at a recent awards evening for their work and recognised for their contribution to delivering care which was in line with the aims of the service.

Staff had access to employee benefits and assistance schemes. Emotional support had recently been arranged for staff following a difficult experience within the service. This gave staff the opportunity to share their experience and feelings and promoted emotional wellbeing.