Hounslow Supported Living 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] service. This key question has been rated outstanding.

This meant services were tailored to meet the needs of individuals and delivered to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.

This service scored 89 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People were supported to genuinely express their wishes and preferences and to live the lives they chose. People and their relatives told us their needs were met and they were happy with their care. Comments from people included, “I chose what I wear”, “I do things for myself and I am independent”, “I go on holiday” and “I eat my favourite meals.”

Staff embodied an approach to make sure people lived life to the full. People were able to make choices about holidays and places they wanted to go. A person we met told us about a camping trip they were planning. Another person explained they were going on a cruise. Staff supported people to plan their holidays and be involved in as much of the organisation as they were able. This depended on people’s individual needs and preferences. Staff explained this involvement, especially for 1 person who did not use words to communicate, had helped strengthen their confidence and sense of self.

Staff empowered people to achieve the things that were important to them. The provider asked people using the service to pitch ideas about improvements and initiatives they wanted. They set up an event where others watched the pitches and voted for the ideas that they liked best. As a result, the provider set up a book club celebrating and promoting wordless books. These were designed to support people to understand about different concepts, experiences and challenges they may face. The book club met at a community café providing a social event where people could share accessible resources and discuss these together.

The staff organised classes and talks to support people to understand about money management and employment. Staff explained how groups and classes had improved people’s self-confidence and creativity. They gave us examples of the positive impact on people’s mental wellbeing.

Staff understood that people’s wishes and needs changed. They adapted their approach and the service to ensure people always received person-centred care. People and their relatives were involved in regular reviews of their care. They were able to request changes. People were supported to set personal objectives and work towards these. The staff had the ethos that nothing should be impossible, and people should always be supported to work towards and achieve their dreams.

Staff used creative ways to provide exceptionally personalised support. For example, 1 person enjoyed the sound and vibrations of a vacuum cleaner. Staff purchased a vacuum cleaner for the person and helped empower them to feel ownership of this activity. This had a positive impact meeting both their sensory needs and helping them feel a sense of pride in keeping their home clean.

People were supported by familiar staff who knew them well. Staff worked closely with other professionals to ensure people received continuity of care. People were able to access the care and support they needed both at the service and in the community. Staff, people using the service and relatives had access to out of hours support when they needed this.

A relative explained that when a person was at the accident and emergency department in hospital, staff stayed with them, keeping the relative informed. Staff liaised with the hospital staff to ensure good continuity of care.

People were provided with a range of accessible information about their care, treatments and support, how to keep themselves safe and how to report any issues of concern. This information was easy for them to find. The provider produced information in different formats to meet people’s individual needs. For example, pictorial, large print and easy to read.

Managers told us about the support staff had given 1 person who did not use words to communicate. They explained that staff provided consistent, person-centred support and helped develop strategies to overcome barriers. The person started to use words and continued to grow in confidence seeing the impact this had. This led to improvements in the quality of their life and social connections.

Staff worked with external professionals to make sure communication was tailor made for everyone. Some people had sensory impairments. Staff learnt communication techniques to overcome barriers. They ensured they presented information in a meaningful way and that people understood this. Some people communicated using signs, pictures and objects of reference. Staff always found ways to ensure they made themselves understood and could understand what people wanted to express. Comments from people and their relatives included, “Staff know [person’s] routine and ensure information is clear on their white board”, “Staff use sign language to communicate with [person]” and “Staff understand [person] and make sure [they have] what they want.”

Where information was not readily available, the service worked with sector stakeholders to try to fill the gap and support people to make informed decisions. People using the service had chosen to start a book group using wordless picture books in a simple accessible format. These supported different communication styles. Staff were able to explain the impact this had for different people. For example, 1 person who did not usually engage in social events, had joined the book group. Another person explained they loved the book group and were excited to attend. Staff described how adjustments had helped to reduce people’s anxiety and improve access. These adjustments included pre-recorded videos of information and using sticker charts for people to express their feelings.

People were actively encouraged to be involved in running the service. They were able to challenge ways of working and helped to drive improvements. The organisation invited people who used the service to present to the board, reporting directly to senior leaders about their experiences.

At a local level, the provider organised regular group meetings for people using the services. These meetings were chaired and run by people. They discussed issues which were important to them, including planning social events. They also discussed key issues such as restrictions, consent and recognising abuse. There were separate meetings which relatives were invited to.

Some people using the service worked as ‘quality checkers.’ Their role was to visit other services and carry out an assessment focussing on people’s experiences of living there. These assessments were an integral part of the provider’s quality monitoring processes.

People using the service were invited to be representatives in various groups and committees. Two people had been invited to join a safeguarding panel to share their experiences and help the organisation learn from these.

The provider actively sought feedback about what was important to people. Part of the recruitment and selection of new staff involved people using the service. Potential staff were observed interacting with them and people were asked for their feedback about these staff.

People were asked to complete satisfaction surveys about their experiences. The responses to these were used to help form specific targets and objectives in the provider’s plans for improvement. Action plans included measures to help test whether these targets were being met, including through meetings with people and audits. People were involved in reviews of their own care and the service. People’s experience helped to shape how the provider developed policies, procedures and services. For example, the registered manager told us that following concerns raised by staff about how to best support people who wanted to be involved in romantic partnerships, the organisation consulted with staff and people to help develop a new ‘sex and intimate relationships’ policy.

People knew who to speak with if they had a complaint and felt these would be handled appropriately. The provider investigated complaints and learnt from these to improve the service.

Staff ensured people experienced seamless care and were able to access the services they needed. For example, ensuring people had personalised support to access healthcare services. Staff advocated for people and ensured healthcare partners made reasonable adjustments which met people’s individual needs, including home visits and video consultations.

Staff recognised barriers to people achieving their potential and found ways to overcome these. The provider ran a job club specialising in offering practical support such as completing job applications, interview skills and helping to find suitable job vacancies.

Staff supported people to access jobs by providing them with the skills and knowledge to pursue their chosen careers. For 1 person, they had supported them to develop their computer skills. For another person they gave them a role in an office to develop their skills within a workplace setting and to understand about expectations of an office environment.

The provider designed services to enhance accessibility for all and to improve people’s quality of life. For example, following concerns about the safety of 1 person and a romantic relationship they were in, staff worked with external partners to create a positive relationship course. Several people were part of the first cohort of this course. They and staff reported back this had been successful and helped them understand about healthy relationships. The provider was planning to run the course again for others who may benefit from this.

The provider ensured equity in experiences and outcomes. Staff assessed and planned for people’s diverse needs. People experienced good care and support because staff actively removed barriers people faced. Managers told us they tailored care in response to this.

Staff liaised with people and their relatives to make sure they felt their needs were being met. Staff undertook training to understand about equality and diversity.

Staff were advocates for people. They challenged inequalities to ensure people experienced the best outcomes. Staff described how they had challenged doctors and other professionals when needed. For example, challenging a doctor who staff explained, “Did not see the person behind the disability.”

Staff supported people to plan for the future. They helped people set and work towards personal objectives which included gaining independence to move on when this was their choice. Staff regularly monitored outcomes to make sure people had access to everything they needed to achieve their objectives.

Staff supported some people at the end of their lives and with life limiting conditions. They worked closely with the person and their relatives to plan the right care and support. Staff were committed to ensuring people could remain in their homes for life when this was their choice. They worked with palliative care teams and other professionals to ensure people were comfortable and pain free. The provider ensured people using the service and staff affected by bereavement were given the support and information they needed. This included staff accessing mental health champions and counselling services when needed. Staff created a range of resources for people to explain about death, dying and bereavement. For example, using picture story books and opportunities to discuss feelings together.