Disability Supported Accommodation Service North Network

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 service made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing, and communication needs with them.

Assessments were person-centred and developed collaboratively with people, capturing preferences, strengths, and support strategies. These assessments were holistic, covering physical health, emotional wellbeing, communication needs, and social goals.

The service collaborated with families and health professionals during transitions, such as hospital discharges, to ensure continuity and safety for people. Relatives were also regularly involved in both initial assessments and ongoing reviews.

Support plans were outcome-focused, helping people achieve goals like increased independence, community engagement, and improved health. The service had engaged people in their, ‘Better Life Star’, initiative, which supported them to set personal aims and structured goals.
 

Care and support were planned and delivered in line with legislation and current evidence-based practice, focusing on what mattered to each person.

The service delivered care that was person-centred. Support plans were tailored to individual needs, developed in collaboration with people, their families, and advocates. Positive behaviour support was central to care planning, and we observed staff demonstrating compassion by validating people’s emotions when they became distressed. Staff also demonstrated an understanding of how to use communication tools such as Makaton, a system using signs, symbols, and speech, to ensure people could express themselves.

Healthy lifestyles were actively promoted at the service. People took part in personalised activities, including exercise sessions, and had access to nutritious meals that reflected their preferences and dietary needs. Care and support were delivered in line with recognised best practice and current evidence-based guidance, such as NICE guidelines.

Care and support were timely and appropriate. Records confirmed referrals to external professionals, such as speech and language therapists and community nurses, with clear guidance incorporated into support plans to ensure continuity of care.

Consent and autonomy were consistently respected. Staff understood and applied the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), treating people with dignity and ensuring they remained in control of decisions about their care and support. Support plans were regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in people’s needs and current best practice. This approach ensured people remained central to decisions about their care.
 

The service 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.

Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments, and hospital passports contained an overview of each person’s care needs. People were not required to repeat their stories, as assessments and support plans were shared across teams, reducing stress and improving outcomes. People's relatives spoke positively about the support provided by staff when accessing health services. One relative told us “Yes, they do always contact the GPs and others for regular appointments and then they contact me, to let me know.”

The service worked effectively with internal teams and external agencies to coordinate clinics, day services, and social support. The service had processes in place to ensure care and support was coordinated including transport, where needed.

Transitions, referrals, and discharges were planned with a focus on each person’s individual needs, circumstances, and expected outcomes. Staff worked collaboratively to understand and meet people’s needs and maintained personal diaries for people’s personal and healthcare appointments, which were reviewed routinely and enabled effective forward planning.
 

The service supported people to manage their health and wellbeing in ways that promoted independence, choice, and control.

The service had a proactive and person-centred approach to promoting health and wellbeing. Support plans included health goals, and people were encouraged by staff to take an active role in managing their own health. Details about what mattered most to each person had been captured and included details about relevant appointments, including frequency of checkups. People receiving care told us they felt supported in managing their health and staff we spoke to appeared genuinely invested in helping people to live healthier, more independent lives.

Health action plans had also been developed by people using the service to ensure their health goals and aims could be shared with staff. Hospital passports were stored in people's flats and contained relevant information about their health needs in the event they went to hospital.

Staff supported people to attend local community centres and participate in activities of their choosing, including exercise sessions. People were encouraged by staff to take part in activities that suited their interests and abilities and told us that they enjoyed dancing in the discos that were routinely scheduled. People were also in control of food choices and were supported by staff where needed. One relative told us "They do quite healthy food for (person), they try to keep it healthy for her weight, which is good really."
 

The service routinely monitored people’s care and treatment. They ensured that outcomes were positive and met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves.

Support plans included personal goals and were reviewed with people. Records showed that plans were updated when needs changed, and people told us they had positive experiences.

Technology was used to promote independence and reduce the need for physical supervision. Real-time alerts about people’s movements and appliance use helped staff respond early to behaviours of concern and avoid escalation. Staff were familiar with known patterns of behaviour that could indicate distress or unmet needs, and used this insight to provide timely, appropriate support.

This approach also helped reduce environmental factors, such as noise, lighting, or interruptions, that might cause distress. Staff told us the data was especially useful at night, helping them understand people’s routines and tailor support more effectively.
 

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

The service respected people’s rights to make decisions about their care and treatment. Staff understood and applied the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), obtaining consent appropriately and making best interest decisions when necessary. Best interest meetings and capacity assessments were completed by relevant healthcare professionals, such as social workers, with appropriate authorisations and records maintained.

Support plans documented consent and legal arrangements, such as Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and all practicable steps were taken to support people to make their own decisions. Communication was tailored to individual needs using accessible formats and aids to support understanding. Staff consistently sought consent before providing support. We observed staff knocking and waiting before entering people’s flats and explaining tasks clearly to ensure people were informed and comfortable.

People were actively involved in planning and reviewing their care. Their views were listened to, and any restrictive practices were proportionate, time-limited, and regularly reviewed. Feedback from people receiving care was consistently positive and they told us they felt respected and involved in decisions about their care.