Imagine Act and Succeed

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 changed to Outstanding. This meant people were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.

This service scored 90 (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 was exceptional at treating people with kindness, empathy and compassion. They respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

We visited 10 people in 3 different properties. Staff members showed warmth and respect when interacting with people. We observed staff being sensitive to people’s needs and offering care discreetly to ensure their dignity was maintained and respected. Staff showed genuine interest in people’s well-being and quality of life and were keen to tell us that they both loved their jobs and loved the impact they were able to have on people’s lives. This was evident throughout the assessment. There was a kind and caring culture, and this permeated through everything staff did.

Staff told us, “There is a culture of kindness. One of the best. We go above and beyond”, “Yes absolutely, everyone loves the individuals we support and if I thought [staff] were in any way disrespectful, I would report them no messing” and “Yes definitely, everyone is very kind, staff are kind to each other too which is great because we’re kind to everyone we support.”

Families told us, “The staff I have been involved with have been respectful, kind, and compassionate to [relatives] needs. [Relative] always looks clean and well dressed. I have no concerns regarding her care. I feel she is happy and contented” and “The attitude of staff means that I always feel welcome and I know that my [relative] couldn't be better looked after. The staff show a genuine care and interest in my [relative].

People’s privacy was respected.Staff gave numerous examples of how this was managed in practice. For example, ensuring they knocked on people’s doors and waiting for a response before entering and being sensitive and considerate when supporting with personal care. Staff told us, “Yes, in one of my roles we do a lot of personal care, one lady is none verbal, but we always run through exactly what we are doing, why, covering them up, doors shut. We take care of them and keep them safe and everything you would like for yourself as well if that was you or your family. Treat them with the upmost respect.”

The feedback from healthcare professionals was overwhelmingly positive and included, “The staff I have been involved with have been respectful, kind and compassionate to [relatives] needs” and “It is evident that there is a genuinely caring approach to the people they support, which I have observed in many appointments with them. In my opinion they demonstrate a high level of compassion towards the people they support, and their staff have been very supportive in helping people to discuss difficult and sensitive topics in sessions and appointments in a kind and compassionate way.”

People’s personal, cultural, social and religious needs, including those relating to their sexual and gender identity, were understood. Care plans were person centred and recorded information about their personal, cultural, social and religious needs. They included information about their individual communication needs and care plans and reviews included information about people’s preferences, strengths and aspirations.

People were supported to have their needs met by staff who understood them. There was a consistent staff team who knew people very well. This enabled them to understand people’s needs and to treat them as unique individuals. There was a good understanding of people’s needs and preferences, and this was reflected in their care and support.For example, people’s rooms were unique and each was very different depending on the person’s individual preferences.

Staff received training in equality and diversity and were well equipped to support people’s individual needs. The deputy head of operations told us, “People have attended the same church for many years and have developed great relationships with their fellow parishioners. One [person] we support has attended the same church for over 25 years, supported by IAS, and [person] has a special bond with people. This [person] doesn’t have any family, but people at church have treated [person] like family, they attend reviews and other events such as birthday parties.” A second person has been supported to assert their gender identity for the first time. A group were also supported to attend Pride events in Manchester each year. A Pride event is a festival of celebrations, parades and demonstrations for the LGBTQ+ community and their allies, focusing on acceptance and equality.

Families told us, “I make a point of getting to know his staff. I see how they treat him. They are very respectful of his needs and wants” and “The staff talk to him, let him know they are there for him. Being an ear for him if he’s happy or sad”.

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

People’s right to privacy and a personal life was always respected. People were supported to have close and intimate relationships. Staff went the extra mile to support people to ensure they could live together if they chose to. The deputy head of operations told us it was, “the highlight” of their career when two people were supported to live together after forging a strong and loving relationship. They have now lived together happily for a number of years.

People were actively supported to enhance their autonomy and have as much control over their lives as possible. Staff took positive risks that were carefully planned. One person who was supported 1-1 in the community was supported to go to the shop by themselves for 30 minutes. This was a success and led to a request to visit family alone in future. Staff liaised with family to achieve this outcome. Family told them it was a success, and it was like a real family get together.

Staff provided numerous examples, they told us, “We would also like to share an example of supporting someone with travel training. Someone we support moved to an unfamiliar area andneeded help to get to work, as [person] was unfamiliar with the route. They had always done this independently before moving. After a few weeks of doing the route with staff they started doing this independently.”

Staff were committed to encouraging people to undertake voluntary work and employment when they expressed a desire to do so. There were numerous examples of people being supported to follow their interests and getting positions in a range of roles including catering and gardening. One person was supported to regain a role volunteering after the covid pandemic which they had previously enjoyed for many years, a second person had been so successful in one volunteering role they had been recommended for a second. These experiences had improved people’s confidence, given them new skills and involved them as valued members of their local community.

Family told us, “IAS have enabled [relative] to develop socially and to bring [relative] a greater degree of independence. Through support and listening to [relative] they have provided the right environment for [relative] to flourish. Without their service [relative] would still be at home and have less social interaction” and ““They enabled us to visit other supported living houses. It was [relative] choice where they lived. [Relative] has certainly come out of their shell once they moved here. [Relative] achievement is the ability to use a telephone in a very confident manner. [Relative] calls me when they want to. Doesn’t need staff to help now”.

Staff empowered people as much as possible and were always exploring new ideas. Families told us, “If he wants to do anything for charity, raise money it’s always his idea. Staff support him” and “Has done an advocacy course. This has enabled him to speak up for himself. He has gained confidence in doing the course.

People were engaged in meaningful hobbies and interests in a personalised way. Health and social care professionals told us, “Staff in the houses I visit always seem to really care about the people they support, for example taking a service user who has an interest in the solstice to see the summer solstice over Stonehenge and to Glastonbury for the autumn carnival – so great to see and such a change from the ubiquitous Blackpool holiday!”

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 needs, views, wishes and comfort were a priority, and staff quickly anticipated these so people didn’t have to wait for support to avoid any preventable discomfort, concern or distress.

Consistent staff teams and long serving staff members were a key strength. People had communication care plans and staff understood them. Staff recognised the different ways people communicated including both verbal and non-verbal cues.

Staff worked jointly with healthcare professionals to utilise positive behaviour support plans to ensure care plans were capturing all staff knowledge and learning in relation to people’s distress to ensure their needs were consistently supported. Positive behavioural support (PBS) is a way of supporting people and involves understanding the reasons behind the behaviour such as their life history, physical health and emotional needs.

A healthcare professional told us, “A good example of what they do well would be if a service user has a change of need, they are very proactive in ensuring our organisation is made aware at the earliest opportunity, to enable us to offer safe and effective support and to allow us to update the individual care plan…their communication is excellent, they always give feedback in regards to outcomes, which is really important in relation to the monitoring and recording of an individual’s development.”

People and staff were supported by a 24 hour on call system staffed by experienced staff and a senior manager who was also available 24 hours a day.

The provider always cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and was exceptional at supporting and enabling staff to always deliver person-centred care.

The management team were visible, hands on and there was an open culture where staff felt able to access support when required. Staff had regular opportunities to provide feedback through attendance at supervisions, appraisals, staff meetings, handovers and staff surveys.

People received safe, effective and person-centred care as the provider recognised and met the wellbeing needs of staff. Staff told us they felt valued, and they were positive about the support they received. They told us, “Oh absolutely, I’ve been with the company nearly 30 years and have never not felt valued or listened to. Every question, issue, problem is always listened to and taken on board and feedback given. 100% always feel valued” and “Yes absolutely, I do feel valued…there is always someone there to listen to me.”

The service benefited from excellent staff retention and long serving staff. A survey was carried out with these staff to find out why they had remained for so long with IAS. They stated, “We stay with IAS because we love the people we support, they become like family. And we can always have ideas to make them have the best life and it always appreciated” and “I have always been supported and encouraged to develop my confidence, skills and ambitions within the company. Despite the longevity I have never felt stale as our roles change and adapt over the years and it always feels challenging in good way.”

People benefited from staff who had regular opportunities to provide feedback, raise concerns and suggest ways to improve the service. One staff member had been supported to introduce a creative art class. The group has been a success and has since grown in both size and popularity, providing opportunities for people to express themselves, develop new skills, and build confidence.

All employees had access to the EAP (Employee Assistance Scheme). This is a 24-hour helpline to offer guidance and support. This covers financial issues, health, housing, legal advice and childcare. Referrals to occupational health supported people to remain in the workplace safely. The management team worked flexibly and went the extra mile to support staff to overcome any barriers to employment and worked in partnership to implement reasonable adjustments where required.

Staff said they were supported if they were struggling at work. This had a positive impact on the care they delivered to people. Staff told us, “If I’ve ever had a personal problem or work-related problem, I've always felt like I can speak with my manager, and they listen to me and help me in any way they can. This has always been a big reason why I've stayed with IAS for so long as the support has always been great, and not every company offers this for their staff."