AYS Care

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 newly registered 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.
Relatives informed us that their family member received consistent and effective care and support from the staff team. Two relatives described the care of their loved ones as ‘stable’. One family member said, “My [relative’s] mental health has been stable throughout their time in the home, this has been a real turn around for my [relative].”

The registered manager had completed a pre-admission assessment and continued to assess people’s needs. Staff told us they were involved in assessing people’s needs. The registered manager said, “I have learned to do more than one pre-assessment, and to do them at different times of the day so that I can take a more holistic approach to assessments.”

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.

There was clear evidence that people’s wishes and preferences were consistently documented within their care plans. These records captured how each person preferred to receive care. The documentation included personal preferences such as chosen foods, hobbies and preferred social interest.

During our visit, it was evident that staff had a good understanding of people’s needs. Throughout our observations, staff members were meaningfully engaging with supported people through activity, conversation or providing assistance when needed. This immediate and attentive approach contributed positively to the overall environment, ensuring that people felt supported and valued.

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.

During our visit, we noted strong teamwork among staff members. Staff were seen engaging in open discussions about the tasks that required completion and consulting with people regarding their preferences for daily activities. In addition, we observed that daily notes and handover notes were being properly completed, indicating effective communication and information sharing between staff teams.

One staff member said, “We have a very open and transparent culture. Staff feel safe and encouraged to raise concerns, knowing that the management act on them immediately to improve care.”

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.

A relative said, “I feel the care is safe and I measure this by the fact my [relative] is not going in and out of hospital for mental health. [Relative] has avoided being sectioned since they have been at AYS.”

Based on our observations and feedback from staff and relatives, we found clear evidence that people received annual health appointments and appointments being arranged when they required them. This included a range of essential services, such as opticians' appointments, dental check-ups, and routine health assessments with GPs.

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.

We observed people’s health and mental wellbeing was being monitored through daily recordings. We also observed residents monthly feedback questionnaires being used to capture people’s views on their care and treatment.

The registered manager said, “We hold meetings with people, to review their care plans and if they would like to add or change any information we change it. It is their care plan, and they should know what it in it.”

Families told us of improvements to their loved one’s mental health and social inclusion.

The registered manager shared with us how the staff team have been able to improve people’s personal hygiene and empower people to maintain this area of their lives.

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

The service demonstrated a robust commitment to working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act. People were supported to make their own decisions wherever possible, and any decisions made on their behalf were carefully considered to be in their best interests and the least restrictive as possible. For example, we saw consent forms for care and treatment, for sharing information with other agencies, and consent to removal of items that posed a risk. People’s consent forms were individualised and appropriate to their capacity.

Staff spoke about people’s mental capacity and one staff member said, “People have their liberty here." Another said, “A resident didn’t want to get dressed in the morning. I respected their choice, documented it, and returned later when they were ready. It made the person feel in control of their own routine.”