Living Ambitions Limited - Essex

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 remained good.

This meant people were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.

This service scored 70 (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 always treated people with kindness, empathy and compassion and respected their privacy and dignity. Staff treated colleagues from other organisations with kindness and respect.

People and relatives were positive about how staff supported them. A person told us, “The staff are really good; they help me with showers and my cleaning. I would not get by without them.”

Another person said, “The carers are kind; I am able to be supported.” Relative’s comments included, “The staff are very good, and it feels homely", "The staff are caring, we hope it’s [persons] home for life. It feels like a good mix here”,” Staff are kind and caring as far as I know. Staff have got [persons] best interests at heart” and “It’s absolutely brilliant, the staff are lovely. Staff know [person] and are caring and compassionate.”

In most services, our observations of staff interactions were positive and demonstrated a caring approach. A staff member told us: “I do think people are getting a good service. We try to explain to people and just support with some things but encourage them to do what they can do.” However, in one service we found staff were not always respectful of people’s personal information. We informed the registered manager, who took immediate action to follow this up with the service. Overall, people were treated with dignity and respect, and staff demonstrated kindness and compassion in their interactions, with prompt action taken where improvements were needed.

The provider treated people as individuals and made sure people’s care, support and treatment met people’s needs and preferences. However, more work was needed to improve consistency with support plans across all locations.

People’s individual needs were identified, and overall, support plans contained a good level of information about their preferences and requirements. However, some plans still required additional detail relating to protected characteristics, such as gender identity, religion, and sexual orientation. As noted in other sections, the registered manager was aware of this and had plans to update support documentation.

During our visits, staff demonstrated a commitment to delivering personalised care. For example, a staff member told us, “[Person] loves the church and enjoys listening to Christian music.” Another staff member said., “Anything people want to do we try to make it happen.” These examples show staff understood what mattered to people and incorporated this into their daily support. Overall, while improvements were needed in documentation, staff practice reflected a person-centred approach that respected individual preferences and promoted inclusion.

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

Wherever possible, people were supported to manage all aspects of their daily lives, including medicines, finances, and activities they enjoyed. Staff told us they encouraged people to be involved in day-to-day activities within the service and in the wider community. A staff member said: “We all try to get people out as much as we can. We have theatre trips coming up, and some people go out with friends.” Another staff member explained how they used meetings to identify what people wanted to do: “We use co-production; people come up with ideas, and we listen.”

In one service, regular workshops were held to share useful information such as healthy eating, scam awareness, and basic first aid. Staff also organised activities suggested by people, including arts and crafts, ‘around the world’ food events, baking, movie nights, and a gardening club. One person told us: “I love the garden, and me and [staff member] are going to Colchester on Wednesday. We do it every year.” A relative said: “There is a steady staff team now and they seem well organised. They have good ideas like taking [person] to the football and they have a season ticket. They do not follow the football but seem to enjoy the crowd. Also, there are meals out, the pictures, trampolining. Sometimes [person] is too busy to see [person’s] parents! So that’s good.”

Overall, staff demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting independence, choice, and inclusion, enabling people to lead fulfilling lives and participate in activities that mattered to them.

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.

Staff knew people well, which enabled them to respond proactively and reduce anxiety or distress. For example, a staff member described how they supported a person following the death of their parent, ensuring emotional support was provided. Another example involved a person who regularly refused support; staff worked flexibly to minimise risks while respecting the person’s choices. A relative told us: “Once staff know her, they can respond appropriately.”

Staff worked in partnership with external professionals, ensuring timely referrals and access to appropriate support when required. This collaborative approach helped maintain people’s wellbeing and ensured their needs were met effectively.

The provider cared about and promoted the wellbeing of their staff and supported and enabled staff to always deliver person-centred care.

Staff were positive about the support they received and highlighted the importance of consistent leadership. In one service, staff described significant improvements since the appointment of the current service manager. A staff member told us: “We were without a manager for months and months – managers from other services would come in. They tried to implement changes that they used from their services; it did not work and was very difficult. We were on the verge of leaving. [Service manager] came in and saved us. A previous manager could not cope and did not understand the role. Lots of improvements for the better since [service manager] started.”

Other staff comments included, “[Service manager] is always on hand. I carry out Tier 1 checks and [service manager] will then check what I have completed. We are all a team and work together”, “We have a good team here; we all support each other”, “We have supervisions, staff meetings. I cannot fault senior staff.”

Wellbeing initiatives included flexible working arrangements, an Employee Assistance Programme, whistleblowing support, and recognition schemes such as Choice Awards and Employee of the Month. These measures demonstrated the provider’s commitment to creating a positive and supportive working environment. Overall, staff felt valued and supported, which contributed to strong teamwork and improved service delivery.