Disability Supported Accommodation Service North Network

On this page

• Overview
• Kindness, compassion and dignity
• Treating people as individuals
• Independence, choice and control
• Responding to people’s immediate needs
• Workforce wellbeing and enablement

Caring – this means we looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their 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 service treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People were treated with kindness, empathy, and respect. Staff built positive relationships with people and were attentive to their emotional and physical wellbeing. When we asked relatives whether staff were kind and caring, feedback was positive. One relative told us, “Without a doubt absolutely yes, kind and caring, they are fantastic they really are."

Our observations during the assessment were positive. People were consistently addressed by their preferred names, and staff showed genuine interest in their lives, preferences, and routines.

Staff were respectful towards people and knocked on people's doors requesting permission to enter people's flats. Staff were observed engaging in warm, respectful interactions, and people appeared relaxed and at ease, demonstrating trusting relationships had been established.
 

The service treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics.

The service respected people’s individuality and staff made efforts to understand and accommodate people’s personal preferences, cultural backgrounds, and communication styles. People were encouraged to attend activities of their own choosing, such as church, and personalise their home with photographs, art, plants, and soft furnishings.

People were supported to make choices about their daily lives, including meals, clothing, and activities, and were encouraged to maintain independence. Signage was discreet and staff did not wear uniforms to maintain a homely, relaxed and non-institutional environment.
 

The service promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment, and wellbeing.

The service embedded monitoring and alert systems within people's flats that balanced their independence with safety and responsive support. People were given the choice to opt in or out of these systems, and the level of monitoring could be adjusted to suit individual needs and preferences. One person told us, "I only have the call bell in my flat. I prefer my privacy,” highlighting how the approach respected personal boundaries while still offering reassurance.

People also told us they were supported by staff to engage in activities of their choosing, such as visiting parks, pubs, going on holiday and attending day centres. A relative told us “She goes most days to the park, she goes for walks, goes shopping and she might go shopping for clothes… Staff take her in the car.”

People were supported by the service to understand their rights and involved in the development of their own care. Details of relatives or advocates involved in the development of people’s care was documented appropriately. Support plans identified what people were able to do for themselves and where they needed support. People’s preferences, goals and aspirations were detailed in the support plans and integrated with the daily tasks.
 

The service listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff responded to people’s needs in the moment and acted to minimise any discomfort, concern or distress.

Staff had supported people consistently over several years, developing a strong rapport and a deep understanding of their communication needs, often without needing to refer to support plans. One staff member told us, “(Person) uses gestures and tends to spell words out… if he is in pain.”

Staff used technology to assist in monitoring and responding to people’s needs. Technology such as crash mats, call bells, and discreet monitoring systems were used to alert staff to potential risks, including falls.

People and their families told us that staff acted quickly to minimise any discomfort or concerns and contacted GP’s and other relevant healthcare professionals in a timely manner. The service communicated effectively with other agencies, providing communication and hospital passports where needed, to ensure continuity of care and a shared understanding of each person’s needs.
 

The service cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported staff to deliver person-centred care.

Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and were treated fairly. Staff were invited to give their feedback on the service in staff surveys and supervisions and felt included by management.

There was a positive workplace culture where kindness and mutual support were encouraged. Shadowing opportunities enabled staff to fully understand a person’s needs before providing care and support. Systems were in place to recognise staff for their work and the registered manager told us about their excellence awards, which identified and rewarded rising stars, best newcomers, and manager of the year.

The registered manager told us how the service had acted on feedback from past staff survey responses which requested support with accessing resources offered by the service. IT literacy and computer access had been identified as a barrier. The registered manager told us a policy working group had been implemented, which ensured staff had access to key policies and an IT suite had been built where staff could use the service's intranet to access company resources, policies, and to complete e-learning.