hcs Supported Living

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

Well-led – this means we looked for evidence service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Outstanding. This meant service leadership was exceptional and distinctive. Leaders and the culture they created drove and improved high-quality, person-centred 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 had a very clear shared vision, strategy and culture. This was based on transparency, equity, equality and human rights, diversity and inclusion, engagement, and an exceptional understanding of the challenges and the needs of people and their communities. The registered manager and the provider were familiar with CQC’s guidance ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ which detailed the service requirements for people with a learning disability and autistic people. We were assured people who lived in the service and received support, lived an ordinary life as any other person. We were assured the provider guaranteed autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Members of the provider’s senior management carried out quality assurance visits and met staff teams to share the organisation values and strategic direction. A member of the senior management team expressed their appreciation for night staff and said, “[Staff] are the quiet strength of the [provider]. Their work ensures continuity, safety, and comfort for the people we support, and we are deeply grateful.” The provider had a clear strategic vision which included expanding and enhancing services to meet growing needs across the communities, investing in staff development, with new training opportunities and career progression pathways, innovating in care delivery, using technology and evidence-based practices to improve outcomes, and strengthening the organisational culture of inclusion and respect to ensure every team member felt valued and empowered. The provider had 4 core values which articulated a commitment to people, quality, progress and safety. A member of the senior management team said, “We are a community built on trust, empathy, and a shared commitment to making a difference.”

The provider had exceptionally inclusive leaders at all levels who understood the context in which they delivered care, treatment and support and embodied the culture and values of their workforce and organisation. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience and credibility to lead effectively. They always did so with integrity, openness and honesty. The registered manager and the management team lead the service effectively. The registered manager knew people in the service who all knew the registered manager. They had a clear focus on empowerment and quality outcomes for people achieved by supporting people on their transitional journey which promoted independence and ensured choice and control. Family members were very complimentary about the management team. One family member said, “[Registered manager] has become another important professional for us and [person]. [The registered manager] was one of the first people we were in contact with. [They] gave us our initial tour of the college and the various residential options when we were looking for colleges for [person]. [The registered manager] remains a reliable professional who we can contact at any time. We’re pleased to say that [the registered manager] is very present for [person]. Their encouragement allowed [person] to have the confidence to have a go at being videoed for the new college website. They have really improved [person’s] self-esteem. [The registered manager] recently took [person] shopping to buy new clothes and made him feel ‘grown up’ and valued. [The registered manager] promotes positive emotional development, something that was lacking for [person] previously.”

The provider fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The provider had a whistle-blowing policy in place and there was clear information and support for members of staff that supported them to disclosure if they needed to and this could be done confidentially. The provider had an external independent support service in place for staff where they could make confidential disclosures.

The provider valued diversity in their workforce. They worked towards an inclusive and fair culture by improving equality and equity for people who worked for them. The provider had a comprehensive induction programme and a detailed staff handbook which contained information about makaton/sign language, easy read symbols, training modules for care planning, healthy eating, hydration, and equality, diversity and inclusion. The provider was accredited with a range of organisations as a supportive and inclusive employer. These included ‘Investors in People’, ‘Disability Confident Employer’, ‘Restraint Reduction Network’ and the ‘Bild Association of Certified Training’ specifically for a positive behaviour support programme designed for the people supported by the provider.

The provider had clear responsibilities, roles, systems of accountability and good governance. They used these to manage and deliver high-quality, sustainable care, treatment and support. They always acted on the best information about risk, performance and outcomes, and shared this securely with others when appropriate. The provider had clear systems of governance in place which reviewed and monitored all aspects of performance in the service. A continuous improvement plan and tracker were place which monitored all aspects of the service and provided an oversight of quality which enabled the management team to monitor outcomes and support continuous improvement. The provider carried out regular fire safety checks on each of the supported living properties in the service which included reviews of fire alarms, fire-fighting equipment and fire safety drills. Members of the management team were present and available to talk to both people and members of staff who worked across the service. They chaired the regular handover meetings and engaged with people to hear about their experiences of the support they received and the outcomes they had achieved.

The provider clearly understood and carried out their duty to collaborate and worked in partnership, and services worked seamlessly for people. They always shared information and learning with partners and collaborated for improvement. The provider supported people to be members of their local community. People accessed local shops, services and colleges. People staff teams worked with them to manage and mitigate risk around local communities and people's vulnerabilities.

The provider had a strong focus on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They always encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people. They actively contributed to safe, effective practice and research. Members of the provider’s management team attended local care forums and care network meeting where skills, knowledge and updates were discussed and shared. The senior management team were actively involved in a number of national forums focussed on safeguarding and promoting people’s voice throughout the safeguarding process. This information was shared across the wider services managed by the provider. There was clear evidence of learning and improvement which was shared across the 3 services which formed the key part of the transition pathway for people. This learning and improvement had supported people to move between the services, gradually building skills and confidence which enabled them to live independently and reduce the need for intensive support over time.