Bradbury Gardens

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.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

This service scored 79 (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.

Support was shaped around people’s unique strengths, communication styles, routines and preferences, with care records evidencing staff taking time every day to understand their mood, choices and priorities.

Staff knew people well and adapted support to meet individual communication, health and wellbeing needs. We observed warm, respectful and highly personalised interactions throughout the service. People were supported to express choices using a range of communication methods, including partner-assisted communication, British Sign Language, Makaton-based approaches and communication aids.

The staff team’s commitment to people had a clear impact, enabling them to live fulfilling lives and achieve the outcomes they wanted to achieve. This was underpinned by a strong, embedded person centred culture that ensured care was consistently dignified, empowering and individualised. A relative told us, ““My loved one is treated as an individual and an adult. The staff team know the activities my loved one like to do and what they do not like doing. They are always asking, what can we do to enhance my loved one’s life, the support continues to be individualised. I feel truly blessed that my loved one is here in this home”.

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.

The provider worked effectively with people, families and partner organisations to ensure care was coordinated and responsive. Support was delivered consistently in line with each person’s assessed needs, ensuring nothing was missed or overlooked. We saw evidence of multidisciplinary working involving therapists, nurses, education staff and families to support positive outcomes. Transition planning was well developed and focused on helping people prepare for the future while maintaining continuity of support. Relatives spoke positively about the multi-disciplinary approach. One relative said, ““The whole team are on board, from the management down, and [they all] use the phrases prescribed in the care plan”.

Regular reviews and communication with families helped ensure support remained aligned with people’s changing needs and goals.

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

The provider met the Accessible Information Standard as they had identified communication needs, used appropriate communication, including visual aids (e.g. Easy Read materials) to ensure reasonable adjustments were made for people. For example, people and those important to them received information in ways they could understand. Person-centred documentation was developed collaboratively with each person to highlight their preferred communication style, any supporting equipment and any strategies that promote participation and inclusion. Furthermore, people were supported to participate in house meetings and activities through accessible communication methods, and activity boards and timetables were presented in a pictorial format. This ensured people remained informed and involved in decisions about their lives.

The provider was passionate about supporting people to develop the skills they need to remove barriers to effective communication. Staff were trained in a wide range of communication strategies such as assistive technology, AAC, social stories and bespoke signing, to ensure they could meet the diverse needs of people.

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.

Staff valued people’s views, ensuring they played an active role in shaping their care and daily routines. Staff were patient and gave people sufficient time to communicate in their preferred way. People contributed to meetings, expressing views about activities and influencing decisions that affected them. A relative told us, ““Before my loved one moved in, they were asked how they would like their bedroom to look. It had been decorated to their wishes”.

The provider had a complaints policy and procedure and people were given information about how to complain. The registered manager told us they saw learning from complaints and concerns positively as an opportunity for improvement.

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

People’s health, care and support needs were regularly monitored. We saw evidence of timely referrals to other professionals, such as speech and language therapists, GP’s, physiotherapists, and occupational health.

We saw how the service actively worked to reduce health inequalities by ensuring people could access appointments, treatment, therapy and specialist services without delay. Staff supported individuals to attend health checks, routine monitoring and emergency care, making reasonable adjustments such as using visual aids, social stories, arranging preparation visits and ensuring support from familiar staff.

This proactive, flexible and well-coordinated approach meant people consistently received the right care at the right time, reflecting a commitment to equitable support delivery.

Staff and leaders were innovative in how they listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes. Staff and leaders actively used this information to provide exceptionally tailored care, support and treatment in response to this.

Staff made reasonable adjustments to meet individual needs, such as adapting communication approaches, adjusting routines and creating sensory-friendly environments, enabling people to fully participate in day-to-day life. There was a rich range of experiences people had enjoyed, and we heard how these were tailored to people’s individual needs and preferences. An activities co-ordinator spoke about how one person had continually grown and developed at Bradbury Gardens. They told us, “[They have] just completed Duke of Edinburgh, this year they went on the skiing and trip and did the walk [and always completing all their] therapies. [They wanted to and have been supported to do] litter picking in the park. [They also choose to] sing in the choir.”

Outcomes were regularly reviewed, and the service worked in partnership with families and external professionals to identify when additional support was needed. This approach ensured people received equitable care and had equal opportunities to achieve positive outcomes and experiences.

The provider challenged inequalities and sought to find solutions to the barriers people face. Staff advocated for people to ensure they were not discriminated against, and they were valued in the wider community. We heard how people at Bradbury Gardens had met with a local councillor and members of the highways team to highlight the dangers of the surrounding pavement in the local area when using a wheelchair. We saw how their action had resulted in improvement, which helped to ensure equity in outcomes and experiences for people at Bradbury Gardens and the wider community.

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

Some people were students at the National Star college and some people were at Bradbury Gardens for long term living. Regardless, the provider worked with people to plan for their future goals and changing needs. Staff worked closely with people, families and other professionals to make sure future plans reflected people’s aspirations, strengths and preferences. For students, transition planning helped people move on to further education, employment, community opportunities or more independent living where appropriate. The provider ran an annual transition event which included local and national long-term accommodation providers, along with representatives from community groups and sports clubs so people could prepare for life beyond college. In addition to this, we saw how the provider had engaged with relatives and shared information about transition and life after college on a secure social platform.