Creative Support - Bedford Services

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 Requires Improvement. 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 100 (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 and in how they respected people’s privacy and dignity. Staff always treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.People and relatives told us that the support they received was vital to them and their families. A relative told us, “For the first time I can go away and take a holiday knowing that my [family member] is safe, well looked after and happy. It hasn’t always been like this and I’m grateful to the carers for all they do.”

We saw clear evidence people had made improvements since coming to the service and the support provided enabled then to make sustained improvements as people’s confidence and independence continued to develop. A family member told us, “The carers are like a second family in [family members] life and in ours too. [Family member] is living a great life, full of new opportunities we never thought possible. Its brilliant and wish it had happened year ago.”

People’s achievements were celebrated not just locally but across the nation. For example, the provider held a gala event for 200 people using the services celebrating their achievements over the past year.

Staff described people to us in a compassionate and empathetic way, and it was clear how much they cared for and respected the people they supported. They always looked for ways to improve people’s lives and maintain their dignity. A staff member told us, “We try to think outside of the box to make sure anything is achievable for people.”

A visiting professional spoke positively about the service and the staff approach to people. They said, “The staff are passionate about putting the tenants needs first. I came in especially today because I wanted to tell you how brilliant I think the support here is for people.”

We saw numerous examples of where staff went over and above their roles. For example, staff voluntarily stayed beyond their scheduled hours to provide emotional and physical support to a person nearing end of life. The staff team devised a rota to ensure that the person would be supported by familiar staff who know them well. This provided comfort and support to the person at the end of their life.

The provider treated people as individuals and was exceptional in how they made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. The provider took account of people’s strengths, abilities, aspirations, culture and unique backgrounds and protected characteristics. For example, 1 person had expressed to staff how they were feeling very different inside, to their outside physical body, expressing confusion around their gender identity. The person was supported by staff to explore their gender identity in a non-judgemental way, ensuring they provided consistent emotional support and treating them as an individual in line with their preferences. All staff at the service were updated on the changes and additional training in relation to LGBTQ+ Awareness was provided to staff.

Another person practised a particular faith but when they first moved to the service, they no longer showed an interest in participating. However, over time, staff noticed that the person began using the Makaton sign for prayer more frequently. Staff had a chat with the person about whether they wanted to re-engage with their religion and staff saw through the person’s body language, that this was something they wanted to do. A staff member of the same faith took the lead in supporting the person to attend their place of worship which they now go to every week and was really enjoying it.

People were supported to explore new interests and hobbies in line with their preferences. One person expressed an interest in a particular sport after observing another person attending sessions. The person’s support team were very responsive their aspirations to play the sport, and their key worker accompanied them to attend a first session. They now enjoy the sport weekly and have also been supported to attend independently by travelling to the sport either by bus or walking.

People and their families were active partners in their care. Staff always empowered people to have a voice and to realise their potential.

People's individual preferences and needs were always reflected in how care was delivered. For example, people were fully involved in the care planning and risk assessment process and staff actively sought their feedback on the quality of care provided.

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. For example, 1 person identified that their ultimate goal was to become more independent and how they would like to undertake some voluntary work. Staff helped them identify a role that interested them at a local animal charity and supported the person on their first shift, to find the premises and to help them understand their role. Staff stayed with them to provide reassurance and be a source of support. Staff spoke with the person about using public transport and together they looked at the routes and staff supported them initially with the full journey. They gradually shortened their support on the journey until the person managed it on their own. This positive risk-taking approach ensured the person was able to gain independence, providing them with choice and control over what they wanted to achieve.

People had exceptional access to activities and the local community, to support their independence, health and well-being. A staff member commented, “[Person] needs to be out active and busy. Lots of activities are important to them and for their well-being. We are out every day with [person].”

Staff supported people to recognise personal goals and supported them to achieve these to gain more independence in their life. For example, people were supported to organise holidays, ensuring they were involved and empowered to make choices at every stage. One person, who was very sociable had a goal to organise a day trip for some people using the service. Other people were supported to find voluntary work and use public transport to promote and enhance their independence.

People had personalised timetables, offering support to reduce any barriers to attendance ensuring they were able to access activities of their choice. Staff monitored people’s participation and enjoyment, and information fed into thorough annual reviews.

Care plans reflected an enabling approach. They clearly described people's dependency levels and explained what people were able to do, or wished to do, for themselves, as well as detailing the tasks people needed staff to support them with. Care plans also described people’s communication needs and information was provided to people in formats they could understand. Staff met with people, their relatives and other external professionals to discuss their support and any changes required, and these were reviewed regularly and updated when a person’s care requirements changed. People were supported to ensure their voice was heard using independent advocates if that was required. An advocate is an independent person who can provide a voice to people who otherwise may find it difficult to speak up. The service could provide people with information about advocacy services if they needed it.

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. For example, when an ambulance was called for 1 person who had a fall, staff worked together to respond to the situation quickly and effectively, ensuring that someone sat with the person whilst waiting to ease distress. Staff supported the person in the ambulance and in accident and emergency department where there was a long delay to be seen. Staff stayed over their contracted hours to ensure the person was supported and put at ease by someone who knew them well.

One person had been on the waiting list for a long time for surgery. Staff felt that it was important that during this time the person was involved in the process and understood the reasons for the surgery, whilst developing links with the nurses, doctor and hospital who would be involved in his care. This ensured the person was familiar with the hospital leading up to the surgery. Following the surgery, the person was in hospital for 2 days where staff ensured they were present and when the person became distressed, trusted staff members were there to reassure them.

We observed staff responding to people swiftly if they required support.

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. Without exception, staff gave us very positive feedback about how well they were supported in their job roles. One staff member told us, “We are well supported, and I feel lucky to be part of this team. They care about our wellbeing.” Another member of staff commented, “This is a good company to work for. The managers and the staff team are all supportive. I feel valued and listened to.”

We saw written feedback from a staff member that read, “Considering the wide range of cultures and beliefs within the Bedford services, I can say that equality and diversity are valued. This is an important aspect that makes staff members feel appreciated and valued. My experience being with Creative Support has always been supportive and they have respected my values and opinions. Throughout the years, I felt respected and appreciated, and seen my colleagues and service users being treated the same. The recruitment process at the Bedford services feels inclusive and compassionate, with the staff members recruited because they qualify for the position and they are caring and have demonstrated good knowledge and understanding of what is required.”

The management team understood how important staff well-being was and how this directly impacted the support people received. They focused on having regular discussions both formally and informally with staff to make sure they had the right support to be the best they could in their job roles. They put measures in place to support staff in the best way possible. For example, there was a domestic abuse policy that aimed to provide a safe and supportive environment where staff could access counselling, time off for appointments and short-term flexible working.

A culture of developing staff to reach their potential had been established. Staff felt invested in, given the opportunities for self-development available to them. New staff were required to complete a comprehensive induction and did not work alone until assessed as competent in practice. Staff told us there was an excellent buddy system that ensured new staff had full support from a consistent and experienced member of staff. A lot of the provider’s training was completed by an in-house trainer and the registered manager. Having the training in-house allowed the management team to support staff further and deliver the training in a way that suited them.