Guyatt House Care, a supported living service for autistic people and those with learning disabilities, retained its Outstanding rating across all three inspected key questions (Safe, Responsive, Well-Led) at its June 2022 inspection. The service demonstrated exceptional person-centred practice, a strong safeguarding culture, innovative communication support and highly effective leadership that placed people's aspirations at the heart of the service.
Strengths
· Exceptional safeguarding knowledge; staff facilitated safety sessions and supported people to understand risks, including online safety.
· Positive risk-taking culture fully embedded, with people involved in managing their own risks and decisions.
· Staff recruited to match specific individuals' needs; people involved in interview processes.
· Highly personalised, person-centred care plans co-designed with people using pictures, photos and drawings in accessible formats.
· Outstanding communication support including individual communication plans, low-arousal strategies and accessible information formats.
Quality-Statement breakdown (14)
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseOutstanding
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementOutstanding
safe: Staffing and recruitmentOutstanding
safe: Using medicines safelyOutstanding
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionOutstanding
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongOutstanding
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control and to meet their needs and preferencesOutstanding
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsOutstanding
responsive: Supporting people to develop and maintain relationships to avoid social isolationOutstanding
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsOutstanding
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringOutstanding
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourOutstanding
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsOutstanding
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staffOutstanding
Guyatt House Care achieved an Outstanding rating across all five key questions at this November 2019 inspection of a supported living domiciliary care service for people with learning disabilities and/or autism. The service demonstrated exceptional person-centred practice, innovative communication approaches, and transformative outcomes for people, maintaining and improving on its previous Outstanding rating from 2017.
Strengths
· Exceptional safeguarding culture with staff empowering people to understand and manage their own safety, including involvement in staff recruitment
· Medicines managed safely with STOMP principles applied, supporting reduction of overmedication and enabling self-administration where risk-assessed
· Highly person-centred care with innovative communication approaches (phone apps, sign language, objects of reference, tablet computers) enabling people to express choices
· Outstanding staff training programme including mentoring, apprenticeships, Care Certificate, and non-physical intervention techniques rated as the best by experienced staff
· Exceptional outcomes for people including first-ever independent travel, community employment, holidays abroad, and significant reductions in anxiety and distress
Quality-Statement breakdown (27)
safe: Systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuseOutstanding
safe: Learning lessons when things go wrongOutstanding
safe: Assessing risk, safety monitoring and managementOutstanding
safe: Staffing and recruitmentOutstanding
safe: Using medicines safelyOutstanding
safe: Preventing and controlling infectionOutstanding
effective: Assessing people's needs and choices; delivering care in line with standards, guidance and the lawOutstanding
effective: Staff support: induction, training, skills and experience
Outstanding
effective: Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced dietOutstanding
effective: Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely careOutstanding
effective: Adapting service, design, decoration to meet people's needsOutstanding
effective: Supporting people to live healthier lives, access healthcare services and supportOutstanding
effective: Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidanceOutstanding
caring: Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversityOutstanding
caring: Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their careOutstanding
caring: Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independenceOutstanding
responsive: Planning personalised care to ensure people have choice and control and to meet their needs and preferencesOutstanding
responsive: Meeting people's communication needsOutstanding
responsive: Supporting people to develop and maintain relationships to avoid social isolation; support to follow interests and activitiesOutstanding
responsive: Improving care quality in response to complaints or concernsOutstanding
responsive: End of life care and supportNot rated
well-led: Promoting a positive culture that is person-centred, open, inclusive and empoweringOutstanding
well-led: How the provider understands and acts on the duty of candourOutstanding
well-led: Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirementsOutstanding
well-led: Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staff, fully considering their equality characteristicsOutstanding
well-led: Continuous learning and improving careOutstanding
well-led: Working in partnership with othersOutstanding