Enter and view: Supported Living Services
We select the locations liaising with local residents, Newham Council Adult Social Care staff and the Care Quality Commission. We carried out visits to 8 services, with 3 further visits planned for November and December 2018.
Summary
This is a key priority for our team as the residents are often vulnerable or isolated and do not always have the opportunity to give their views. As we do not make the individual reports public, this report provides an overview of our key findings and themes and the responses from providers. Using a semi-structured set of questions the team speak to the Managers, staff, residents and their relatives and carers (if the latter are there to speak to). Residents are not required to talk to us, if they don’t want to.
Key findings
- There’s a lack of activities both through in general and through supported living.
- There are concerns about managing the client/residents’ money. Carers don’t always know how their relative’s personal money is spent.
- There is a big variation in the quality of support workers; some are kind, caring, competent and have good communication skills, but others aren’t.
- General concern that residents/clients that do not have family members or other
advocates may not be getting the services to which they are entitled and/or secure/safe living spaces. - More clarity is needed on what health checks should be available to people with
learning disabilities and the ‘thoroughness’ of the check. - Concerns were raised about the awareness/training for paid carers on communication standards for people with learning disabilities or autism.
Recommendations
- Improved activities for clients and residents to be a factor in the procurement and monitoring of SLS services.
- Clear guidelines and protocols to staff, residents, clients and carers on how money and personal finance is managed.
- Guidance about what should be available through health checks.
- Guidance and reassurance to service users and their carers about how to give feedback or make a complaint.
