Archived: PICAS Also known as Pathway Independent Care and Autism Services

Updated 12 March 2025

We received concerns in relation to support provided to people about the supported living service. As a result, we undertook a responsive inspection to review the key questions of Safe and Well-Led only.

We carried out a site visit to the registered office and supported living sites on 10 April 2025 as part of the assessment. This assessment was carried out by an assessor, an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Assessment activity started on 8 April 2025 and ended 12 May 2025. We looked at 11 quality statements as part of this assessment. We received feedback from 1 person who used the service, 4 relatives of people that used the service and 15 staff about people’s care as part of this assessment.

PICAS (Pathways Independent Care and Autism Services) is a supported living service for people with mental health needs, learning disabilities and or/autism. The service can accommodate up to 11 people in various individual supported living accommodations across two London boroughs. At the time of our assessment, 9 people were using the service. We visited 3 supported living accommodations.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Updated 12 March 2025

The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, Right care and Right culture.

Right Support: People felt safe with staff. Staff knew how to support people. Staff received training to perform their roles effectively. Safeguarding systems were in place to ensure people were safeguarded from abuse.

Right Care: Risk assessments were in place to ensure people received safe care. Medicines were being managed safely. There were recruitment systems to recruit staff safely. Staff were caring when supporting people and had a good relationship with them.

Right culture: Quality assurance systems were in place. Feedback was sought from people, relatives and staff to ensure there was a culture of continuous improvement. People were supported to express their views.