ASLN

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 provider involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect. 

People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. We saw warm, positive and supportive relationships between staff and people using the service, which helped people to feel comfortable and valued. 

People felt able to talk openly with staff and told us they felt listened to. Staff interactions consistently upheld people’s dignity, and care was delivered in a person‑centred and compassionate manner.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. They took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. 

People received care that was personalised to their individual needs and preferences. Staff told us they tailored their approach depending on each person’s needs, abilities and circumstances, which helped to ensure people received appropriate and respectful support. 

Care records clearly documented people’s protected characteristics, and we saw that these were taken into account when support was planned and delivered. This demonstrated an understanding of equality and the importance of providing inclusive care. 

Adjustments had been made to the way information was provided to people based on their individual needs and disabilities. This helped people to better understand their care and to remain involved in decisions that affected them. 

The provider promoted people’s independence, so people knew their rights and had choice and control over their own care, treatment and wellbeing. 

People were encouraged and supported to maintain their independence and take an active role in everyday life.

People were supported to make choices about how they spent their time. This ensured staff consistently supported people’s individual choices and promoted independence in line with their abilities. 

The provider 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. 

People’s immediate needs were recognised and responded to in a timely and appropriate way. We saw that people had clear Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) plans in place, which identified signs that people may be becoming distressed and provided staff with guidance on how best to support them to remain calm or to settle again. 

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of these plans and were able to respond proactively to people’s emotional and behavioural needs, helping to reduce distress and promote positive outcomes. 

Where people were prescribed PRN medicines for anxiety or agitation, staff followed guidance appropriately. We saw that staff used all available non‑pharmacological strategies first, in line with people’s PBS plans, before administering PRN medicines. One staff member said, “If a customer becomes distressed, we do our best to refocus them. If this does not work, then we have their medication to give them to help them relax and become less distressed.” This approach aligned with the principles of STOMP (Stop Over Medication of People with a Learning Disability, Autism or both) and supported people to receive the least restrictive care possible.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care. 

Staff told us they felt well supported in their roles. They described having multiple opportunities to provide feedback, both informally and formally, including through supervisions, team meetings, and anonymous staff surveys. 

One staff member told us they could approach the management team with any issues affecting them, including matters outside of work. Another staff member said they were encouraged to highlight any person‑specific training needs that were not covered by standard training courses and told us these requests were listened to and acted upon. 

Staff spoke positively about their relationships with the management team, describing them as warm and approachable. They told us managers were accessible and that they could contact them at any time if support or advice was needed.