We carried out a review of the data available to us about SENSE - South East Supported Living Services on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about SENSE - South East Supported Living Services, you can give feedback on this service.
SENSE-South East Supported Living Services is a supported living service. It provides care and support in supported living settings to people who live with learning disabilities and sensory impairments. At the time of the inspection there were five people using the service.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service continued to demonstrate that they provided a service that had some outstanding characteristics. The service has continued to be flexible and very responsive to people’s individual needs and preferences. The support and care that people received was particularly personalised and led by the people using the service.
People’s relatives told us they participated fully in people’s care and were kept up to date about any changes. People’s relatives described staff as “brilliant” and of “going the extra mile.”
The culture of the service was open and supportive. Staff valued people, listened to them and encouraged their empowerment by supporting people to overcome day to day barriers and encouraging them to accomplish their goals.
Staff used innovative and individual ways of involving people in their care and support plans. Staff knew people very well and had developed positive relationships with them. Staff were enthusiastic and passionate about supporting people to have as many opportunities as possible so that they lived a fulfilled life.
Staff understood each person’s communication needs. People were provided with the support and tools they needed to help them communicate effectively. One person had been supported to significantly develop their communication by increasing their signing skills.
Staff continued to support people in innovative ways to become less anxious and more accepting of a range of medical procedures, so their health and medical needs were met by the service.
Staff worked as a team to provide people with the support they needed to enable them to be as independent as possible. People were listened to and took a lead in their care. People were valued and respected by staff, who supported them to achieve the goals they set.
People have continued to be supported to fully take part in a wide range of activities, most community based. These met people's preferences and helped them to develop new skills, which promoted their independence and well-being.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 10 January 2017)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
SENSE - South East Supported Living Services provides care and support to people who are dual-sensory impaired or single sensory impaired with additional physical or learning disabilities. There were four people using the service at the time of our inspection who were living in two supported houses in Kent.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People using the service were well treated by the staff and showed us that they felt safe and trusted the staff who supported them.
Where any risks to people’s safety had been identified, the management had thought about ways to mitigate risks without limiting people’s independence and preferences.
The service was flexible and responsive to people’s individual needs and preferences and had introduced a number of outstanding initiatives to ensure that the care people received was responsive and that people’s disabilities were not a barrier to them living as full a life as possible. This included people taking part in a full and interesting number of activities that they wanted to and which, although came with a degree of risk, had a significant positive effect on their well-being.
Staff also spent time with people and helped them get used to certain medical procedures so they were not disadvantaged.
People’s care and support was planned proactively in partnership with them. Staff used innovative and individual ways of involving people in planning their care. Care plans included the views of people using the service and their relatives. Relatives told us they were kept up to date about any changes by staff at the office.
Relatives told us that the management and staff were quick to respond to any changes in people’s needs and care plans reflected how people were supported to receive care and treatment in accordance with their current needs and preferences.
People were actively encouraged to give their views and raise concerns or complaints. People and their relatives had no complaints about the service but said they felt able to raise any concerns without worry. People were provided with novel ways to express and explore ways to indicate if they were unhappy with the service.
Staff could explain how they would recognise and report abuse and they understood their responsibilities in keeping people safe.
The provider was following appropriate recruitment procedures to make sure that only suitable staff were employed at the service.
Staff we spoke with had a good knowledge of the medicines that people they supported were taking and there were systems in place to monitor and audit the management of medicines in order to help reduce any potential problems.
People who used the service and their relatives were positive about the staff and told us they had confidence in their abilities and staff told us that they were provided with training in the areas they needed in order to support people effectively.
Staff understood that it was not right to make choices for people when they could make choices for themselves and people’s ability around decision making, preferences and choices were recorded in their care plans and followed by staff.
Staff were aware of people’s dietary requirements and preferences and made sure people were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and hydration. People were actively involved in choosing what they wanted to eat and drink.
The service had a number of quality and safety monitoring systems designed to make sure people were safe and that everyone involved in the service could have input into how it was run and how well it was meeting its aims and objectives.
Staff understood how people communicated their views about the service and these views were sought on a regular basis. The provider used this feedback, along with input from relatives and staff to continually look at ways of improving the service.