Turning Point - Cumbria Learning Disabilities Supported Living

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 79 (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.

Person centred care and support plans were developed after assessing people’s needs, and these gave staff clear information about people’s individual needs, preferences and communication requirements.

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.

Training reflected current legislation and good practice and was well planned and organised. People received the food and drink they needed to stay healthy, and staff provided appropriate support when there were concerns about malnutrition, weight or other nutrition-related health needs. A relative said, “Their diet is good. It’s all homecooked food.” Another relative said, “They are on a soft fork diet as there is a risk of choking. Risk assessments have been carried out by SALT (Speech and Language Therapy team).”

Clear policies were in place, informed by current legislation and best practice.

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.

Care records showed people were referred to health and social care professionals when needed. Relatives told us they were involved in discussions and decisions about the care and support their family members received.

The provider used widely recognised tools, such as hospital passports to share important information when people moved between services, helping to ensure consistent care and reducing the need for people to repeat their information.

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.

Care and support records showed various appointments had been attended for a range of healthcare issues, with follow up appointments monitored. A relative said, “Staff take them to all appointments. If they have to go to hospital they (staff) call me straight away. They are good at communicating.”

Staff encouraged people to make healthy choices while respecting their independence and preferences. A staff member said, “We try to encourage them to eat well, but would never stop them if they wanted a particular food. It’s their choice at the end of the day.”

The provider monitored all people’s care and treatment to continuously improve it. They ensured that outcomes were positive and consistent, and that they fully met both clinical expectations and the expectations of people themselves. Any concerns or changes were identified and acted on promptly.

There were many examples of how staff had supported with improved outcomes for people. This included conversations at the House of Lords after a person had been visited by a local MP and were recognised for their contribution to the learning disability community. This prompted the MP to speak about it in the House of Commons which boosted the person’s confidence to continue their efforts to improve care for those with learning difficulties.

Another person had an improved outcome when they were actively involved in planning a trip to a residential activity centre. Staff ensured the facilities and activities were safe and suitable. They encouraged the person to try new experiences and celebrated their achievements. Staff also supported the person to build social skills by encouraging conversations and interactions with others. As a result, the person felt included, built meaningful relationships, and gained confidence, independence, and resilience. They tried new activities, engaged more with others, and felt proud of achievements they had previously thought were beyond their abilities.

Relatives who wished to be involved in care meetings were. Staff were confident using the providers records system and had enough time to keep records up to date. Care notes were clear and easy to follow. The registered manager listened to feedback and had explored better ways to record and mark people’s achievements.

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

Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the importance of supporting people to make their own choices. They sought consent in ways that suited each person, including through words, sounds, body language and facial expressions. Staff worked with other professionals to assess people’s capacity when needed, and any best interests decisions or restrictions were made in line with the MCA.

Staff took care to ensure mental capacity assessments were decision specific, and that capacity was always assumed in the first place. Consent and best interest decision records had been reviewed and had been improved from our last assessment.