“The staff are brilliant”
Affinity Trust’s service in Southend and Essex has been rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
CQC, the independent regulator of social care in England, visited the service between 30 November and 8 December 2017, having given 48 hours’ notice.
At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting 34 people.
To gather feedback about the Essex service, the inspectors sent surveys to people we support, their relatives, staff and community professionals. They also spoke to a number of people and reviewed support records, staff files, medication records and other information.
The inspectors found that:
-
The service had a strong, visible, person-centred culture. All the people who replied to the survey agreed that ‘My care and support workers are caring and kind’.
-
People and staff were relaxed in each other’s company.
-
Where appropriate, people had been involved in making decisions about their care and support.
-
Staff were knowledgeable about the people they supported – their likes, dislikes, interests, health and support needs.
The inspectors saw many examples of people being supported to access the community, take part in activities and social events, and pursue hobbies and interests. For example, one person was supported to travel to London to see Cinderella on Ice, and another to attend a local cycle club.
“The support and care I receive helps me to be as independent as I can be” – person we support
Staff were involved in workshops to help improve the quality of the service. For example, one staff member was part of a group reviewing person-centred plan documentation.
Another staff member said: “This is the first time I have worked in a company like this. I trust them and they trust me. [Management] are very supportive. I have never had this in other jobs.”
Read the full report on the CQC’s website
See all our recent ratings, reports and inspections
