ECHO Supported Living Services Limited

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 95 (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.Without exception the people we spoke with were positive about their relationships with staff and all relatives described the staff as being exceptionally caring. A relative told us, “The staff are kind and caring, [person’s name] has their dignity protected.” Another relative told us, “Staff and management are very kind and caring, like a family they welcome me all the time, every time I go which is at least once a week.” Relatives could share examples of the relationship people had with staff which were all positive. For example, a relative told us, “Staff are kind and caring, they genuinely like [person’s name], you can tell how they talk about [person’s name] they want them to be happy, they tell me funny stories its lovely actually. The examples they use tell me they know [person’s name] well.” We saw people interacting with staff, they were comfortable with them, happy and smiling when speaking to and about the staff.Staff were able to describe the relationships they had with people and spoke with warmth and compassion when speaking about people. Staff described a company philosophy of working with people to maintain their support, not giving up and moving people if things were hard. Staff valued this approach and worked hard to support people. Partners were complimentary about the relationships staff had with people using the service. A health professional told us, “The team are very caring which is evident during visits to their [people’s] placements.” The provider had received numerous compliments as feedback about their role. These included feedback from another provider when staff were supporting with an extended transition to the service which stated the staff were “exceptional” and that their responsiveness and dedication to meeting the individual’s needs was highly valued. Another professional said following a visit to a person, “The strength of relationships developed, with the individual demonstrates trust and positive engagement with staff.”The registered manager told us they were extremely confident the approach staff took with people was caring and dignified as they received feedback from different sources and monitored the staffs’ approach with people. The registered manager shared feedback they had received about staff which included, “Professionals consistently describe the service as exceptional, “beautiful and of a consistently high standard. Recognising the compassionate, dignified and person-centred approach taken by staff, including during complex situations such as hospital admissions and end-of-life care. The registered manager told us, “This culture is embedded through values-based recruitment, consistent staffing teams, and strong leadership oversight, ensuring people are supported by staff who know them well and build genuine, trusting relationships.”

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. Without exception everyone we spoke with told us people using the service were treated as individuals. People told us the staff supported them to do the things they enjoyed, describing going out in the community, participating in hobbies and undertaking daily living activities. Relatives told us people had extremely individualised support plans. A relative told us, “[Person’s name] gets to see friends and family as much as they wanted to.” Relatives told us staff made sure people could follow routines which were important to them, with a relative sharing how staff went the extra mile to ensure these were followed even during holiday periods. Staff could tell us about people’s individual needs and preferences and could share examples about people’s individual routines. Partners told us the teams had a extremely good understanding of people’s individual needs, including cultural needs and preferences.

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. Relatives told us people were able to decide which staff supported them and shared examples of how people felt able to say when staff were not suitable. Relatives told us people had support to promote their independence. A relative told us, “Every so often they’ll change it up a bit to see if [person’s name] likes something new.” The relative went on to share an example of a change in equipment which enabled the person to make more choices for themselves and make drinks independently. Staff were without exception able to demonstrate how people were supported to independently do things in their homes. The registered manager said, “We work with people and build on their abilities using the outcome tools. The registered manager gave the example of 1 person who was now self-medicating as a result. Without exception the provider worked with individuals and those close to them to understand individual needs. For example, staff used visual aids and planner to increase choice and control and support a person to create their own structured routines, this led to a decrease in anxiety driven behaviour which the person used to communicate when they felt restricted. Working slowly to increase choice and control in a measured way in agreed areas of life so it isn’t overwhelming. Another example was using visual prompts and now and next boards to support a person with independently doing their laundry. Another person was supported to develop a structured plan for chosen activities outside of the service, this has led to increased community access and social relationships being formed outside of the service. Another person improved communication strategies led to increased ability to make choices and increase independence. The person is now able to participate in tasks such as shopping with minimal prompting from staff. The person is now more able to self-determine and has transferred the skills learned through this approach to other tasks such as baking. Outcomes are continually monitored enabling people to grow and increase their independence, choice and control over their lives.

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 were supported by staff on a 24-hour basis and support was continually available within the core team to assist them if needed. Relatives told us there were never any concerns with people not having their needs met. Relatives said there were always staff present to support people who understood their needs and how to meet them. The registered manager told us extra support was always available to ensure people’s needs could be met. Staff confirmed they always had other staff they could call on if needed to them support people.

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 provider told us they were, “Committed to promoting the wellbeing and enablement of its workforce, recognising that a supported and skilled staff team is fundamental to delivering high-quality care and support.” This was demonstrated though a commitment to internal progression and continuous professional development.The registered manager told us staff support was extremely important to the service as staff worked with people with complex needs. There were systems in place to enable staff to have regular debriefs and reflective practice sessions. Staff confirmed these were in place and valued. Staff told us they had support from the registered manager and wider management team. A staff member told us, “We have regular supervisions every 5 or 6 weeks, we can access support from the management team whenever we need it.” The registered manager told us staff rotas were monitored and they made sure staff did not burn out, staff confirmed there were systems in place for them to seek time out if they needed it. Staff satisfaction survey showed positive responses from staff, with 99% feeling they were making a positive difference to the lives of people they supported and 91% of reporting they have all they need to do their jobs well. The survey found 96% of the staff responding reported that they would recommend working with the provider to others.