I manage 16 Kings Road, a residential service for adults with learning disabilities in Hampshire. In June, we became one of only a handful of services to be rated outstanding by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – the highest rating possible.
Getting “outstanding” takes an enormous amount of hard work and commitment from all members of staff. But the principle that underpins everything we put in place to achieve that rating is simple: the people you support need to be the primary consideration in any decision you make.
On a basic level, it’s about applying the “mum test”. If a service isn’t good enough for a loved one, it isn’t good enough for the people you support. To remind us of this extremely important point, staff are encouraged to bring in photos of their loved ones so the principles of the mum test are on display in the service.
Person-centred care is essential and should never be undermined. In fact, support focused on the person is the very first point of the Driving Up Quality Code – the set of guiding principles learning disability care providers should adhere to.
In our CQC report, two of the areas we were praised highly for were being well led and how effectively the service was managed. We were also applauded for being caring, precisely because we had put measures in place to ensure the individual was always front and centre.
To ensure the people we support are always able to put across their views, we allow them to use different ways to communicate. For one person, this might mean using picture cards. Others prefer using apps on tablets – it’s about understanding each individual’s preference.
As well as providing the people we support with ways to put their views across, we listen to what they have to say and put their thoughts into action. Every month we hold a meeting where tenants can have their say on decisions affecting the service, on everything from the colours of the walls, to how the house is laid out and where they should go on days and nights out.
We also hold individual monthly reviews where we discuss what activities people want to take up, whether they would like to look for employment, or if they need any additional support. We then do everything we can to put what they say into action.
One of our tenants mentioned they would like to find voluntary or paid work. We helped them write a CV and send it to businesses in the area that matched their interests. After receiving several offers, they are now employed by a pub as a commis chef, where they are gaining skills and working towards formal qualifications. Their success helped to inspire a further two tenants, who have both recently gained voluntary employment.
As well as involving the people we support in all decisions, we include their families where we can. Last year, we held a Driving Up Quality self-assessment, where we asked the people we support, their families and other stakeholders to give honest feedback on the care we provide. Over the following months we worked on putting these thoughts into action.
Some people suggested staff shift patterns should be more flexible, allowing tenants to take part in activities at night. Now staff members work around the people they support, so they always have the freedom to achieve things that are important to them.
To ensure we continue to develop and go on providing the very highest standards of care, we will be holding another self-assessment over the next month or so. Consistently reviewing what we do and looking for new ideas is the best way of making sure we stick to the simple ethos of putting the people we support at the heart of everything we do – and ensuring the service is fit for our mums too, of course.
