ASLN

On this page

• Overview
• Assessing needs
• Delivering evidence-based care and treatment
• How staff, teams and services work together
• Supporting people to live healthier lives
• Monitoring and improving outcomes
• Consent to care and treatment

Effective – this means we looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.

At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment 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.

The provider made sure people’s care and treatment was effective by assessing and reviewing their health, care, wellbeing and communication needs with them. 

People’s support plans contained comprehensive assessments of their individual needs. These assessments clearly reflected people’s preferences, abilities, and the support required to help them achieve positive outcomes. 

People were supported to take an active role in discussing their support plans. Staff used pictorial prompts and accessible communication methods to help people understand and contribute to their care planning.

The provider planned and delivered people’s care and treatment with them, including what was important and mattered to them. They did this in line with legislation and current evidence-based good practice and standards. 

Care and support was delivered in line with current evidence‑based guidance. The people whose support plans we reviewed were not at risk of malnutrition or pressure damage; therefore, screening tools which examine these risks such as the MUST (malnutrition universal screening tool) or Waterlow assessments were not required or in use.  

The management team and staff showed a strong understanding of good practice when working with autistic people and people with a learning disability. Care and support were planned and delivered in line with relevant legislation and best‑practice guidance to ensure people received appropriate and effective support. 

Staff had completed the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism, meeting the national requirement for staff to be trained to support autistic people and those with a learning disability. This helped ensure staff had the knowledge and skills needed to provide safe, inclusive, and person‑centred care. 

The provider worked well across teams and services to support people. They made sure people only needed to tell their story once by sharing their assessment of needs when people moved between different services. 

Staff told us they worked well together as a team and described a supportive and proactive working culture. They felt able to share information, raise concerns, and support one another to ensure people received consistent and safe care. One staff member said, “[There is] good teamwork. Staff communicate through handovers, diary notes, emails and regular updates.” 

We saw evidence that the service worked closely with external professionals and partner organisations. The management team liaised effectively with the local authority and other commissioners of services to escalate concerns when required, seek appropriate authorisation for the deprivation of liberty, and review people’s care needs. 

This collaborative approach helped ensure people’s care was well‑coordinated, legally compliant, and responsive to changes in their needs. 

The provider supported people to manage their health and wellbeing to maximise their independence, choice and control. Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reduce their future needs for care and support. 

People were supported to maintain and improve their health and wellbeing. We saw that people were encouraged and supported to make healthy meal choices, and their weight was monitored where appropriate to help identify any changes in health needs. 

Staff demonstrated an understanding of people’s individual health conditions and how to support them effectively. One staff member told us, “We have customers with diabetes. I always make sure their diet is low in sugar, following healthy meal plans from the dietitian.” 

The provider routinely monitored people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. 

People’s outcomes were monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure care remained appropriate and responsive to their needs. We saw evidence that people’s goals were discussed and reviewed with them, and adjustments were made where required. Some people had successfully achieved specific goals, demonstrating positive outcomes and progress. 

Staff worked with people to identify and agree the goals they wanted to achieve, supporting them to be involved in decisions about their care and support. Reviews focused on what was important to people and helped to promote independence and wellbeing

There was evidence of effective partnership working with the local authority to review care and support arrangements. Staff appropriately escalated concerns when needed to ensure people continued to receive safe and effective care. This helped to ensure changes in people’s needs were identified promptly and responded to in a timely way.

The provider told people about their rights around consent and respected these when delivering person-centred care and treatment. 

The people whose care records we reviewed were able to give consent to their care and support plans. Consent was clearly recorded and maintained offline, which ensured the information was accessible and suitable for people using the service. 

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of gaining consent and told us how they sought consent from people before delivering care. They understood the need to involve people in decisions about their care and to ensure consent was ongoing and meaningful. 

Support plans provided clear guidance to staff on the best ways to support people to give consent, taking into account individual communication needs and preferences. This helped staff to consistently support people in a respectful and person‑centred way.