Active Care Group Supported Services

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• 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

People felt the staff knew them and their individual preferences well. Most staff members were working at the service for a long time, ensuring continuity of care. The care and support were provided according to people’s personal needs. Staff told us they worked well as a team and there was effective communication between staff members. There are processes and systems in place to share information with staff, people and relatives. People were encouraged to maintain links with the community, their friends, and families.

This service scored 64 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People told us the staff are aware of their preferences and that care is provided according to their needs. One person told us, “I can shower by myself. The staff know my likes and dislikes. When I do the shopping, I write a shopping list down. I tell them politely and they are pretty good.” People were able to choose who they received care from. One person told us, “The staff are responsive to my needs. I am offered an option to choose the gender of the staff I want. If there is a problem when I said to a female member of staff that I want a male, then I have those options.” One relative told us, “The staff know him (person) very well. I’ve been able to have confidential conversations with the staff. They know what he (person) is like as a character and know when there is something to be concerned about.”

Staff told us they know people’s needs well and that they consult the care plans to be aware of any changes to people’s needs and preferences. One staff member said, “I know the service users well. If their needs change, we are informed through handovers. I have time to read the care plans. We have to read and sign.” One manager at a setting told us, “The care plans are designed with the service users in mind. All the service users are at different levels. By looking at the care plans, there are no repeated questions. The care plans are individual for service users.”

We observed people to be involved in the management of their care. Staff were seen to involve people in any decisions and people were given choices.

We did not look at Care provision, Integration and continuity during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

People told us that regular team meetings take place and that their views are consulted. One person said, “We have residents’ meetings. They are once a month. I find out from other tenants about what is going on and they are useful, there is plenty of information. Every now and again we get a questionnaire to fill in about our views.” Relatives were assured that the communications between staff members was effective. One relative said, “If I call and tell something to a staff member and I call later and another staff member answers, I am certain that the information has been passed on to them.

Staff told us they are aware of any changes in people’s needs. “We are informed when there are changes, the support plan is updated, and everyone can read it and know what has changed.” Staff told us people were provided with information according to their needs, facilitating their understanding. One manager at a setting told us, “I’ve made a lot of easy read support plans. There is a computer program that we use where you put in a word, and it shows you a picture. Most of the care plans I’ve done so far are made in an easy read version.”

Effective communication was ensured by having robust systems in place, such as team meetings, daily huddles handovers and emailing staff of changes. Relatives were updated by supervisors via phone calls or email on a recurring basis. Communication between people and their relatives is facilitated using technology, provided by the service.

People and their relatives told us they felt listened to and they were confident in sharing their ideas or raising complaints about the care and support provided. One person stated, “I can ask to take decisions about my care, they listen to me.” A relative told us, “I know my mother had a couple of concerns in the past and she spoke to [manager] directly and she always got an answer.”

Staff told us that people are able to express concerns either to the staff or management. One manager at a setting told us, “Every month we have a tenants meeting, and we also have an open-door policy. The service users are able to raise concerns to the staff right then and there when they encounter it.” Staff told us people and their relatives were involved in creating care and support plans. One manager said, “Before a service user comes we do an initial assessment. When they move in we invite them to contribute to their care plans. They are personally involved in the making of their care plan and also their parents. When changes are needed, they are consulted before making them.“

There were regular meetings with people and staff to discuss any concerns. There is a speak-up policy that encourages people to raise concerns. There are daily walkarounds, where the manager engages with people and has conversations about the support they are receiving.

We did not look at Equity in access during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.

People were encouraged to give feedback about their care on a regular basis. People told us staff encouraged them to achieve good outcomes and that they were supported to take part in their preferred activities. One person told us, “Instead of taking a taxi they advise us to have a walk down to the park instead of spending money on the taxi. They support us to cook meals instead of having takeaways. They don’t stop us to do those things, but they encourage us to be mindful of these things. I have an account that I have control of to buy what I want.”

The staff were proactively engaged in avoiding discrimination and removing barriers, enabling people to live their lives according to their interests and preferences. People were supported to achieve their goals.

There is an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion policy in place. Care planning includes considerations around cultural, religious, and spiritual needs. People’s care plans were detailed and gave a good overview of people’s preferences, likes and dislikes. Access to the community was assessed to mitigate the risk of discrimination.

We did not look at Planning for the future during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Responsive.