Avida Supported Living

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.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated 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 needs were assessed before they began to receive care from the service. Staff worked with people, relatives and other health and social care professionals to gather detailed information about their needs.

Staff used the outcomes of these assessments to determine whether they could safely meet people’s needs. Where they were unable to provide the level or type of care a person required, they were open and honest about this.

Assessments considered people’s health conditions, communication needs and personal care preferences. These were reviewed and updated as staff learned more about people’s needs and expectations. This helped ensure people received care which remained effective and matched what they needed.

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.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink to help them remain well. Some people managed their own meals and drinks independently, while others told us staff assisted them to prepare food and drinks of their choice. A person explained staff always checked their underlying health before preparing their meal to ensure it met their needs safely. They also said, “Before staff leave, they leave me a jug of water, juice and fruit from the fridge.”

Staff understood the importance of good hydration and nutrition in maintaining people’s health. A staff member told us, “Protein is important, and you need to give people time to have food and snacks.” They also described how they tailored food options, “To respect people’s culture and choices.” Where staff had concerns someone might need additional nutritional support, they referred this to the person’s GP.

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.

Staff were positive about how information was shared across the team and told us this supported them to provide safe, consistent care. Staff gave examples of working with other health and social care professionals to help people access support from external services.

Some people told us staff accompanied them to health appointments. This helped staff understand any changes in their needs and ensured care remained effective and responsive.

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 to maintain and improve their health. A person told us staff regularly checked their blood sugar levels and adjusted their support to help them remain well. A relative explained staff made it easy for their family member to ask for help when they needed it, while still respecting their wish to manage aspects of their own health. They said, “[Person’s name] finds it easy to ask for help with something if they need help. I don’t think they [staff] take over or anything.”

Staff encouraged people to remain as active as possible to support their mobility and overall wellbeing.

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 monitor key aspects of their health, such as their fluid intake. Staff also prompted and assisted some people to check their blood sugar levels and supported them to manage their diabetes.

Staff understood what action to take if any concerns arose from monitoring people’s health. A staff member described how checking a person’s health had alerted them to the individual becoming very unwell. Staff acted promptly and arranged for the person to be admitted to hospital, where they quickly recovered and were able to return home.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment.

Staff understood the importance of gaining people’s consent before carrying out any activity or task. A person told us staff always checked they were happy for them to enter their home. People were supported to make as many choices as possible and to retain control over their daily lives.

Staff had received training in The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff worked in the least restrictive way and acted in people’s best interests. They applied the principles of MCA, which provides a legal framework for decisions made on behalf of people who may lack capacity. A staff member told us, “You respect [people’s] choice, we cannot force them. I would call 111 if they regularly refused their medicines.”

People receiving care from the service at the time of the inspection were able to make their own day to day decisions about their care. A relative told us, “[Person’s name] is able to make decisions for themselves. [Person’s name] would speak to me or [other family members] if it was a big decision.”

Staff understood some people they cared for may have others who held the legal authority to make certain future decisions on their behalf.