Northumberland Supported Living Service

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 andtreated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. At the last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection 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.

Staff were respectful in their interactions and demonstrated a caring approach that helped people feel valued and at ease. People consistently described staff as caring, respectful and compassionate, and spoke positively about the strong, trusting relationships that had developed. Staff demonstrated a detailed understanding of people’s communication styles, including non-verbal cues, which enabled them to respond sensitively and reduce distress. Care was delivered in line with human rights principles, with staff routinely seeking consent and explaining actions to ensure people remained informed and involved. The service actively promoted dignity through personalised approaches, including environmental adaptations that enhanced people’s privacy and autonomy, and opportunities such as Dignity Day, which supported confidence, inclusion and wellbeing.

Staff treated people as individuals and made sure the care, support and treatment offered met their needs, preferences and identities. Care was consistently person-centred, with bespoke communication passports, highly individualised care planning and tailored approaches to support people with complex learning disabilities and autism. Staff had developed strong knowledge of people’s histories, preferences and goals, enabling them to provide meaningful and personalised support. People were supported to make positive changes in their lives, including developing social relationships and engaging in activities that reflected their interests. Staff worked creatively with people, families and professionals to design support that balanced risk and quality of life, demonstrating a culture where individuality, equality and inclusion were actively promoted in daily practice.

Staff promoted people’s independence. They made sure people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. Staff supported people to develop independence through tailored activities such as using public transport, accessing community facilities and developing daily living skills. Positive risk-taking approaches enabled people to participate in meaningful activities, including building relationships within the community and maintaining valued social connections. Care planning reflected people’s wishes and staff worked to balance safety with autonomy, supporting people to live fulfilled lives.

Staff 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. They had a strong understanding of people’s needs and were skilled at recognising subtle changes in presentation, particularly for people who communicated non-verbally. Care was proactive and adapted to changes, with effective partnership working with health professionals to ensure timely interventions and continuity of care. Staff acted quickly to changes in health and behaviour, resulting in improved outcomes and reduced incidents over time. However, external factors such as delays in accessing some health services and challenges within the environment impacted on how quickly all needs could always be met, and these required ongoing monitoring.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff, and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. Staff received comprehensive induction, mandatory and specialist training, including learning disability and autism approaches, and were supported through mentorship and reflective practice to develop their skills. Staff told us they felt valued, listened to and supported by approachable leaders, and this contributed to a stable workforce and consistent care delivery. The provider had systems in place to gather staff feedback and respond to concerns, including access to wellbeing resources and flexible working approaches. A staff member said, “I feel since working here I am supported and proud to work for them. I feel I’m a valued member of the team. Respected and listened too.”