Creative Support - Bedford Services

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

Responsive – this means we looked for evidence that the provider met people’s needs.

At our last assessment we rated this key question Requires Improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to Good. This meant people’s needs were met through good organisation and delivery.

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 were at the centre of their care and treatment choices and they decided, in partnership with people, how to respond to any relevant changes in people’s needs.

For example, when a person was offered a care package people’s lifestyle, hobbies, cultural and mental and physical needs were considered. One person told us, “I like to go out to do my shopping and go on lots of trips. The carers take me out a lot.” A relative commented, “This is the most personalised care my [family member] has ever had. It’s all about them and not what’s best for the staff. The staff can’t do enough and [family member] has a fantastic quality of life.”

The service supported people to live well and strive towards independence. Care and support plans included a range of personalised information about people, their history, and personal interests. One staff member informed us, “We make sure we record people’s choices and preferences of how they want to be supported.”

The provider understood the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible and supported choice and continuity.

People received well-coordinated and consistent care from staff who knew them well. Staff told us they were given clear guidance and training around how to support people, recognise changes in their needs and when to contact external healthcare professionals.

Staff were able to discuss the processes in place to ensure up to date information in care records would accompany people to facilitate continuity of service when accessing other health services. For example, admission to a hospital. A staff member informed us, “Information would go with the person when they go to hospital. Our clients have a hospital passport that provides all the information hospital staff would need.”

We saw evidence that the provider had referred people to various health care teams when people’s needs had changed, and they needed extra support. This meant appropriate health care professionals, who had the expertise and skills to support people would be involved in their care.

The provider supplied appropriate, accurate and up-to-date information in formats that were tailored to individual needs

A relative told us, “[Family member] is given information with pictures on. I know the staff help them to understand things that are going on.”

People’s communication needs were thoroughly assessed before people received care. Support plans contained information about how they communicated, and if any communication aids or support was required. We saw documents using symbols and also in in pictorial formats. In 1 service we visited we saw staff and people were all learning how to use Makaton (a form of sign language] together and there was a sign of the week displayed in the communal area.

The provider made it easy for people to share feedback and ideas, or raise complaints about their care, treatment and support. Staff involved people in decisions about their care and told them what had changed as a result.

There was a complaints procedure which was in an accessible format for people and the service promoted open communication. A relative said, “I would not have any worries raising a complaint. I have never had to, but I know the process.”

Satisfaction surveys were sent out to people, relatives, staff and stakeholders and we saw that overall feedback was positive. If concerns were raised these were swiftly addressed. Great effort was put into communicating and engaging people in ways they could understand, and encouraging feedback using signing, pictures, symbols and objects of reference

The provider made sure that people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it.

People were able to access care, treatment and support when they needed to and in a way that met their preferences. For example, records showed that people were supported to attend health and screening appointments. Staff supported people with complex health needs to see specialist health professionals to ensure their needs could be met.

Staff told us they received training in equality and diversity and described a positive culture that supported people to be involved in decisions about their care. The provider worked closely with partner agencies to encourage good equity in access for people using the service.

Staff and leaders actively listened to information about people who are most likely to experience inequality in experience or outcomes and tailored their care, support and treatment in response to this. Everyone we spoke with felt they were treated fairly and equally by the provider and the staff supporting them.The provider was responsive to the views and recommendations of people and staff for improving the care people received. A relative told us, “Communication is very good, and they do listen to what I have to say, and they do ask me for my opinion on the care.”

People were engaged and supported by staff to be included and have the same opportunity as others to receive the care and support of their choice. One staff member said, “We use a lot of different tools to collect views and feedback.” Creative Support promoted people’s involvement and co-production at all levels. There was national ‘Creative Voices’ co-production events to embrace and embed co-production. People using services in the Bedford Supported Living services had been encouraged and supported to attend national Co-Production events and to share ideas for improvement in the Bedford Supported Living Services. This had promoted and provided a platform for people’s involvement in activity planning.

Engaging with people and finding out their views took place in several different ways. People were asked to provide feedback via satisfaction surveys which we looked at and saw that feedback was positive. Records confirmed there were regular reviews of people's care which people, and their families were involved in. Effective communication systems were in place to ensure that staff were kept up to date with any changes to people's care and support systems to staff. They confirmed they had regular staff meetings and 1 to 1 meetings with a senior staff member. Training records showed staff received equality and diversity training as part of their induction. This was designed to help them make sure people were not subjected to discriminatory behaviours and practices.

People were supported to plan for important life changes, so they could have enough time to make informed decisions about their future, including at the end of their life. Staff told us how they involved people’s families when it came to making decisions about their loved one’s future care and how they kept them central in that process.

If people wanted to discuss or be supported to complete a funeral plan, they were supported to complete a Creative Support ‘My Perfect Send-Off” document. This was completed with people and their families if appropriate. It recorded people’s wishes, preferences and thoughts as to a person’s death and funeral arrangements.

We looked at a completed document and found it to be centred around the person’s wishes. For example, the person wished to remain at home surrounded by people who knew them well and that was recorded in the document.