Salisbury Support 4 Autism

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 that 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 service. This key question has been rated good. This meant the service was consistently managed and well-led. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care.

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 promoted a positive and inclusive culture. Staff understood and worked towards shared values and aims. People using the service, staff, relatives and other stakeholders felt well supported and proud of the organisation. Comments from relatives included, “The previous placements did not understand [person’s] autism. But staff here do, they are brilliant and beautiful people’’, “I would recommend this service and there is nothing I would suggest they do differently”, “Whatever they are doing, they do well” and “As a parent, I have been through the mill with care homes and services. But this one is different, and they do what they say they are going to do.” Staff spoke positively about their work and experiences. Their comments included, “I have a passion for this job. The manager always does the best to make the job more enjoyable”, “It is extremely interesting working with autistic people, and I have learnt to be patient and interact in different ways” and “The service is fantastic. Service users and staff are well supported.”

There were capable and inclusive leaders. At the time of our assessment, there was no registered manager in post. The operations lead was overseeing the management of the service and was supported by 3 deputy managers who were in charge of the daily running of each scheme. The deputy managers were supported to undertake management in care qualifications and develop their skills and knowledge. Relatives and staff told us they thought all levels of managers within the organisation were open, inclusive and accessible. Their comments included, “[Managers] are excellent” and “[Managers] are very responsive.” The operations lead told us they were in the process of recruiting a manager who would register with CQC.

The provider had systems to enable staff to speak up. Staff understood these and told us they felt confident raising concerns with all levels of management and externally if needed. One staff member said, “I feel I am able to voice any concerns with the manager, they are really supportive, they listen and come up with solutions, they are very practical.”

The provider supported workforce equality and diversity. Staff working at the service had different cultural backgrounds, experiences and faiths. The operation lead told us they supported people celebrating their differences and welcomed the staff sharing these with others to help develop learning and acceptance.

There were a range of policies and procedures to ensure staff were fairly treated and understood their employment rights. Staff told us they felt valued and supported.

The provider had effective systems to monitor and improve quality. Managers and staff carried out a range of audits. They acted when they identified improvements were needed. These improvements were monitored to make sure changes were effective. There were suitable policies and procedures which adhered to the company’s values, included reference to good practice and reflected legislation. The provider had suitable continuity and business plans. Staff had the information they needed to ensure they followed company procedures and were involved in monitoring and developing the service.

The staff worked in partnership with external professionals, families and community partners to help make sure people’s needs were met. There was evidence of multidisciplinary meetings to assess risks and plan people’s care. The provider’s own specialist staff supported all staff with training and information about best practice when caring for people with a learning disability and autistic people. The local authority carried out monitoring visits to the service. They had found good care during their most recent visits. The management team attended forums with other managers both within the organisation and externally. The operations lead told us this was a useful way to discuss good practice and learn from each other.

The provider created newsletters which they shared with stakeholders to keep them informed about the service, to celebrate successes and to create awareness of other services.

The provider developed a culture where learning and innovation were valued. Staff told us they enjoyed working for the company with comments which included, “I like to impart information and see progress” and “The managers listen and always support you.” The operations lead told us, “We are continually learning to develop into a better company. Managers meet up and have a brainstorm to share ideas.”

Staff took part in regular training events, supervision and appraisals. They had team meetings where they discussed learning and best practice. Some staff were given extra responsibilities and asked to share their learning with others.