ASL Services

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 made sure people were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

Staff showed a strong understanding of people, their preferences, routines, and communication styles. Care plans were detailed and reflected individual goals, and risk assessments. People were supported to make choices and develop and maintain their own independence. Staff knowledge of people meant they were able to recognise people’s abilities and skills and promote these.

Each person had been assigned a key worker who supported the person to set and achieve goals and promote independence. People’s goals were specific to each individual. These were reviewed and updated regularly. These included a review of people’s hobbies and interests to ensure people were being supported to maintain and develop these.

People had daily planners which they had developed with staff. Some people had regular routines, for example attending college. Although days were planned and routines were very important for some people, staff ensured people were able to have choices within their routines. One family member said, “The core team know [name] well so they will let her make decisions and give her choice. She might not want to go to her dance class for example one week and that’s fine, she can choose.” Another family member told us, “They always ask [name] how she is and what she’d like to do. They come up with things indoors if the weathers bad, we’re very happy with them.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People were referred to relevant health and social care professionals when required. Staff knew people well and understood their health and support needs. Staff were regularly updated about changes in people’s care and support needs, and information was available to share with relevant health and social care professionals. When people attended appointments, appropriate support was provided by families or staff. This helped to ensure people’s needs were clear and that people were involved in discussions and decisions about their support and treatment.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs.

Communication was person centred and care plans reflected individual needs. A number of people using the service needed support to communicate. There was information within their care plans about how this was achieved. This included the use of signing, Easy Read documents, pictorial support, electronic and other communication devices. There was detailed information for staff about what words, body language and gestures may mean for each person. Staff were clear that it took time to get to know people where communication was more complex. People and relatives were involved in reviewing communication plans. People’s relatives told us they were kept up to date about their loved one’s care, and well-being.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

People received regular meetings with their key worker. These meetings were used to support people to discuss all aspects of their support, their health, review goals and set new ones. People were also able to discuss any issues with their home, what was happening at the service and make requests and suggestions about changes and improvements they would like to see.

People told us they were able to discuss concerns with staff at any time. Relatives told us they had regular meetings. One relative said, “We have a regular meeting every couple of months. I can always contact the director and the registered manager as well.” Another relative told us, “If there’s anything [name] is unsure about, she’ll contact me and we’ll also talk about it. We also have meetings whenever I or [name] want really. They’re very good at sorting them out.”

People and relatives told us they knew how to make a complaint and were comfortable to do so. There was a complaints policy, and this was available in an Easy Read format. There had not been any complaints received. However, the provider told us how they would be responded to and used to improve and develop the service. Where feedback had been received about the service the provider ad responded to that appropriately.

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

Systems were in place to help ensure people were not prevented from receiving the care and support they needed due to their health or disability. Staff told us and records showed, they worked with external professionals to help ensure people received the relevant health and social care support.

Staff told us they developed specific plans for individuals to help ensure their health needs were met. This included supporting people to ‘be heard’ at clinic appointments. They ensured people had time to communicate their own needs using preferred communication measures.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support, and treatment in response to this.

Staff were proactive in ensuring people were not subject to inequality or discrimination due to their learning disability, autism, or physical disability. They supported people to receive the appropriate care and support by building effective relationships with people, their families and those who could support them. This helped to ensure people were not prevented from doing what they wanted to do, this included personal goals and activities. Staff understood how to speak with people to support their specific needs and knew the best way to enable people to participate in decisions about their experience of care.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future.

People had been using the service for less than a year. For some people this was the first time they had lived away from home and received support from services. The provider and staff were proactive in supporting people to adjust to their new lifestyle. For others, this was a move to a new service. Some people were using the experience to develop their skills and independence to enable them to live more independent lives in the future. There was information about their individual wishes in care plans and how they were being supported to achieve these outcomes.