The CQC has found the quality of care provided by Education and Services for People with Autism Limited at their service Ashleigh, a learning disability service situated in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, to be Outstanding following an inspection in March this year.
Ashleigh provides accommodation and personal care for up to ten people, at the time of the inspection there was six people using the service. The service specialised in supporting younger people with autism, particularly those attending the provider’s college.
Ashleigh is rated as Outstanding overall and for being caring and well-led, and Good for being safe, effective and responsive.
A full report of the inspection has been published on our website.
Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in the North, said:
“We found this service to have very kind and caring staff that listened to people and put their needs before anything else. Family members told us that they recognised the dedicated work the service and the staff do, we saw many examples of innovative practice that benefited the people using the service.
“We saw how the service valued continuity of care, this helped staff, the residents and their families develop caring relationships. It also better enabled people to become more independent and responsible in daily life, tasks and skills.
“The person-centred care we saw was reinforced by effective and sometimes bespoke communication methods and technology, further enabling the service to understand the needs of the residents and drive improvement. The provider was also very proactive in staying updated about changes in legislation and disseminating any learning to the team.
“This is an exceptionally caring service demonstrating a person-centred approach, which was well supported by a strong and innovative management team who sought to instil best practice. Improving to an Outstanding rating is not easy, but it is achievable as you have shown – well done.”
Some of the findings from the inspection included:
- The provider monitored the service regularly and the staff held weekly meetings to gather feedback and updates on any developments, including learning from incidents.
- People were involved in the running of the service to ensure their needs and values were included in the service’s development.
- Inspectors noted that the service kept up to date with best practice but also changes in legislation, showing future planning.
- They employed their own occupational therapist and speech and language therapists to support further improvements in the service and to ensure people’s needs were fully understood.
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This is an exceptionally caring service demonstrating a person-centred approach
Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in the North