Affinity Supporting People (North Lancashire and Burnley)

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first rating for this service which registered in November 2022. This key question has been rated Outstanding. This meant services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.

This service scored 89 (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, leaders and staff were exceptional at making sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices, and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Leaders and staff demonstrated an exceptional commitment to delivering truly person-centred care. They consistently worked alongside people to understand their individual strengths, aspirations, preferences and life experiences, using this knowledge creatively to develop highly personalised and responsive support.

People were empowered to achieve meaningful outcomes and pursue opportunities that enhanced their independence, wellbeing and quality of life. Care records and support plans were comprehensive, holistic and reflective of the whole person. They incorporated the views, experiences and aspirations of people, alongside contributions from relatives and multidisciplinary professionals, ensuring support remained relevant and effective.

One person had successfully developed their skills and was living in their own tenancy. They told the provider, “I love my home. I call it my forever home because it is where I feel happy, safe and independent. I am very proud of my flat and enjoy looking after it.” Another person who had a tailored person-centred support plan said, “I am proud of my new skills, I can help out in the house now.”

Support was designed around what mattered most to each person, with routines, activities and interventions tailored to their individual preferences, goals and lifestyles. Staff were committed to working with people to achieve their goals and live fulfilling lives. People had been empowered to have authentic involvement in decision making about their care. Their views were respected, their choices were valued, and they were empowered to exercise control over their lives, ensuring care was delivered in a way that promoted dignity, independence and self-determination.

The provider had an exceptional understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

Leaders and staff went to exceptional lengths to develop a detailed, holistic understanding of people's experiences and needs. They worked collaboratively with people, their relatives, and health and social care professionals to ensure assessments and support planning were fully informed. Pre-admission assessments demonstrated an exceptional level of research, consultation.

Care plans put the person at the centre of planning and decision making. Staff had received training to ensure they understood people’s unique health needs and were able to identify and respond to any changes. Regular reviews of people’s experiences ensured changes could be identified to ensure people received a consistently high-quality service.

Staff rotas showed people were regularly supported by the same staff. Feedback from relatives identified this had contributed significantly to their relation achieving positive outcomes in their life which had boosted their confidence. One relative told us, “[Name] always gets familiar staff which works very well for them. They [leaders] listen and respond when [Name] has not liked some staff.”

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Leaders and staff supported people to understand information by providing it in accessible ways. Staff endeavoured to support people to express themselves and to be understood by others. Care plans included detailed communication assessments. There was guidance for staff on how best to engage with a person and facilitate their understanding. We saw how one person’s use of language and gestures had been recorded in detail by staff which helped others how best to facilitate communication.

The provider had procedures in place for people to access their care records through their own log in. People could also share their log in with relatives.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback, raise concerns, and make complaints about their care, treatment, and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and kept them informed about changes made in response to their views.

People’s views were actively sought and listened to, and they had a range of opportunities to express their opinions. Tenant group meetings were held within each tenancy to discuss household matters, menu planning, and ideas for activities. People also had regular opportunities to meet individually with their key worker. Annually, the provider consulted people about changes and improvements they would like to see and worked with them to develop plans to achieve their goals and aspirations.

People received exceptional support to express their views and preferences. Staff recognised that one person required additional support to communicate effectively and access opportunities to engage with others. They were supported to access speech and language therapy services, and staff worked collaboratively to build trust, familiarity, and understanding. The person played an active role in developing their own communication tool, ensuring it reflected their individual needs and preferences. As a result, they were better able to express themselves and participate in decisions affecting all aspects of their life, significantly enhancing their involvement, choice, and independence.

One relative told us, “They listen to what [Name] says and they have responded. Other people who have visited have told me how well everyone seems to interact.”

The provider had an effective complaints policy in place. We saw evidence that a recent complaint relating to hygiene in the kitchen had been investigated and resolved through the provider’s complaints procedure.

The provider ensured people could access care, support, and treatment when required.

Comprehensive care plans had been developed which clearly identified any potential barriers individuals might face when accessing services, together with the measures needed to overcome them. This included reasonable adjustments to support people to understand, attend, and tolerate treatments and appointments.

Emergency protocols were in place to guide staff in recognising potential emergencies an individual may experience and clear guidance on how staff should respond. This helped ensure people received timely support when needed.

Out-of-hours and on-call arrangements were established to ensure staff could access guidance and support without delay. Staff told us they felt confident in seeking advice and assistance at any time.

Staffing levels were maintained in line with assessed need to ensure appropriate support was available. Staffing arrangements were kept under regular review and adjusted where necessary to respond to any increase in people's support needs.

Staff and leaders were innovative in how they listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. Staff and leaders actively used this information to provide exceptionally tailored care, support and treatment in response to this.

People's quality of life and access to opportunities had improved because the provider and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of individuals lived experiences and the impact these had on equitable access to a wide range of experiences and positive outcomes.

Leaders helped embed a positive culture which focussed people having positive expectations. Staff were committed to supporting people to achieve their goals and wishes.

A couple had been supported to have a wedding ceremony after many years together. Another person had been supported to visit their relatives on the other side of the world.

One person had been supported to regain their independence and confidence which had led to significantly improved outcomes. They told the provider, “Since moving into supported living, my team have helped me grow in confidence and learn new skills I never believed I could achieve.”

People we met told us about many of the activities they had done and what they were looking forward to. People had regular holidays with their friends, went on day trips to places they enjoyed, including the zoo, theatre and shopping.

People were actively involved in their local communities, participating in a wide range of community initiatives and charitable events. They raised funds for local charities and were recognised as valued and respected members of their community.

Relatives told us staff supported people to maintain their relationships. Staff regularly supported people from different tenancies to engage in social activities together if they wished. One relative said, “They are very good at everything, they take [Name] out when they want.” Another relative said, “[Name] loves the theatre, they will move things around to do what they want.”

People were supported to determine and achieve the outcomes they valued. One person was at risk of not being able to live with the people they valued, due to a change in their needs. Leaders and staff ensured the person’s voice was heard throughout the review process and additional support was agreed; this allowed them to remain in their home with their long-term housemate. They told the provider, “I would be so unhappy if I had to move, I would have been lonely without [Name].”

People were given exceptional support to plan for important life changes, so they could make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

People’s views about longer term future planning were valued and respected. People had been supported to consider what was important to them about significant life events, including end of life care and funeral planning.

The providers’ procedures ensured people had support to consider and record their wishes. Where people were uncertain staff consulted with relatives about what they thought people valued.

People had been supported to remain at home and be cared for at the end of their lives with support from community-based health staff. People told us about their positive experiences of the passing of one of their friends and how they got to say goodbye and attend the funeral.

The provider had received very positive feedback from family members about the level of care and compassion provided to their loved one. They wrote, “Was [Name]time the best it could have been? Without doubt the answer is a resounding yes. Her home was absolutely safe, beyond effective providing care and treatments and achieving great outcomes, utterly responsive tailoring [Name] care to meet their exact emotional, mental and physical needs and preferences. [Name] was treated with compassion, dignity, kindness and respect, and she felt loved. It goes without doubt that [the tenancy] was incredibly well led and delivered the highest quality person-centred care.”

This feedback demonstrated the provider’s commitment to ensuring people experienced compassionate, dignified, and person-centred care at the end of their lives, while also offering meaningful support to those important to them.