Avida Supported Living

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 assessment for this service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 71 (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 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.

People were supported to make day‑to‑day decisions about their care, including what shopping and meal preparation tasks they wanted staff to complete. Relatives told us they were encouraged to share suggestions so staff could tailor care to their family member’s preferences, and staff acted on this feedback. This helped ensure people received care in the way they preferred.

Relatives told us staff adapted the care provided to meet their family member’s unique needs. A relative explained staff communicated with their family member in their first language. They told us this supported their family member to feel reassured and understood, saying this meant, “They [staff] would know how to comfort [person’s name].”

Care records clearly reflected each person’s individual needs, preferences and wishes. They included information about people’s life history, communication needs, health conditions and cultural requirements.

Advice from other health and social care professionals was incorporated into people’s care plans and used to guide staff practice.

Staff told us people’s care plans and risk assessments provided the information they needed to deliver personalised support. This included guidance on monitoring specific aspects of a person’s health, and the actions staff should take to help them remain well. People and their families were involved in reviewing care plans, in line with their wishes.

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

People’s care records set out their health needs in a way which helped staff understand how to respond and support them safely. Staff worked collaboratively with other professionals involved in people’s care, such as GPs, diabetes nurses and commissioners to ensure support was well‑coordinated. Staff understood what local services were available and used these to help people access the right support at the right time. This contributed to people experiencing positive and timely outcomes.

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

Staff supported people to communicate in ways which were right for them. Staff were matched to the people they cared for, so they could us a range of languages, and provide communication in people’s first language. A relative told us this approach helped to provide comfort to their family member.

Each person had an individual communication plan describing their preferred and most effective ways of communicating, which helped staff respond consistently to their needs.

Staff also told us they were prepared to provide information in large print or other accessible formats if people required this in the future. This would ensure people could continue to understand and participate in decisions about their care.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People told us they felt able to speak to staff if they were unhappy with any aspect of their care. A person said they had not needed to raise any concerns because, “The service is good. I have no complaints.” Relatives shared similar views. A relative told us, “I would contact the registered manager, but we haven’t had to make any complaints.”

There were systems in place to record, review and respond to any complaints or concerns. Senior staff took a proactive approach to learning from feedback. For example, compliments were also reviewed to identify any emerging themes or minor concerns, which were then used to inform and improve staff practice.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

All staff were committed to treating people fairly and ensuring any support needs linked to their protected characteristics were understood and met. This helped people to lead fulfilled lives and enabled staff to support them to access specialist clinical advice when they needed it.

Staff understood the discrimination and inequalities people using the service could face and took steps to reduce these risks. For example, they supported people who were at risk of marginalisation due to physical health needs, anxiety, or social circumstances.

Staff worked closely with other agencies and advocated on people’s behalf, so they had the best opportunity to make informed choices about their care and daily lives. This helped ensure people had fair access to safe accommodation, care and support.

People’s care records showed staff had considered their protected characteristics and made reasonable adjustments to promote equity in access to services. This approach helped ensure people received the right support at the right time, in a way which reflected their individual needs and preferences.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this.

The service was responsive to the needs of people with protected characteristics, ensuring care was personalised and adapted as their needs changed. Staff continually assessed and reviewed people’s support, identifying when adjustments were needed to promote positive outcomes. For example, staff closely monitored 1 person’s health and recognised when they required support from other organisations. They acted promptly and worked with relevant health and social care professionals, enabling the person to fulfil their wish to return home as soon as possible.

People’s individual preferences and goals were recognised and supported, helping to reduce isolation and enhance wellbeing.

People’s cultural and religious needs were identified and respected. Where individuals required specific types of food linked to their culture or faith, staff ensured these needs were understood and met.

People were not always fully supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life.

Staff had started to gather some information to help support people to plan for important life changes, including at the end of their life. Some of this information was explored with people, their relatives and other health and social care professionals when people’s needs were first assessed. Although people and relatives did not raise any concerns in this area, we found people’s care plans in relation to their future wishes would benefit from further development. This would ensure they consistently reflected people’s individual choices and preferences at this key stage of their lives. Staff had differing levels of experience in end‑of‑life care, but they told us they felt confident senior colleagues would support them to provide good care.

However, although people were not always planning for all aspects of their future care, they were well supported with other areas, such as the long‑term arrangements they wanted to help maintain the safety of their home. Staff ensured people were fully involved in these decisions and shared examples of how they approached such conversations sensitively.