Choices, our supported living service, was recently given an overall rating of ‘good’ with ‘outstanding’ in caring by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which regulates the service.
Grace Eyre Choices Sussex provides personal care and support for adults with a learning disability and autistic people living in their own home and in supported living accommodation in the Brighton & Hove and West Sussex areas.
The CQC expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted.
To inspect Choices, the CQC spoke to people receiving support, relatives and the Grace Eyre team, as well as reviewing records and outcomes. The report praises the care, support and culture provided by our service.
The CQC always asks five questions about all services. Here are some of the ways people answered about Grace Eyre:
Is the service safe?
The CQC looked for evidence that people were safe and protected from the risk of harm and abuse.
People supported by Choices told the CQC that they felt safe with comments such as:
“I like [staff member], they make me feel safe here.”
Is the service effective?
The CQC looked for evidence that people’s care, treatment and support achieved good outcomes and promoted a good quality of life, based on best available evidence.
Staff members said:
“Our Team Leader is so supportive, I can raise anything with them in my supervision. I really feel like
they’ve got my back and they’ve really improved morale.”
“Yes, I received an induction, it was thorough. I did lots of training and there was loads to remember, but it set me up to do my job.”
Is the service caring?
The CQC looked for evidence that the service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
A person supported by the service said:
“I’m so grateful for what they did for me. I don’t know where I’d be without them.”
A relative of a person supported by Choices said:
“[Person] can struggle with his communication, but the staff are brilliant. They’re patient, friendly and caring towards him, this means they know him, can look after his interests and keep him active which is important to him.”
One Grace Eyre staff member said:
“We are matched with the people we support so we can really get to know them. There is a real passion here about person-centred care. We are all just like family.”
Is the service responsive?
The CQC looked for evidence that the service met people’s needs.
People and their relatives spoke positively about the care they received. One person supported by the service said:
“I get to do things I like, staff help me with this.”
A staff member said:
“We have different training dependent on how someone communicates. I have done Makaton training because it’s important to people here.”
Is the service well-led?
The CQC looked for evidence e that service leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation; and promoted an open, fair culture.
A relative of a person supported by Choices said:
“Registered managers are always approachable, I’ve never received any pushback. In fact, they always seem keen for us to be involved.”
Positive feedback was also received from a professional who works with Choices. They said:
“I’ve always had a good working relationship with Grace Eyre as a service, and [Registered managers] at
Choices. They are good at sharing information when they need to.”
A Choices staff member said:
“I feel supported by the team leader, they help me with any queries I have and I’m not afraid to ask, they are approachable and always around.”
What the CQC found
The CQC found that Grace Eyre Choices Sussex provides the right support and the right care and has the right culture.
They said that the service is exceptional at getting to know people’s needs, wishes and preferences to ensure support was catered to each individual.
People supported by Choices and their relatives told the CQC that they felt supported by staff in a kind, caring and dignified way.
The culture of the service is open, inclusive and empowered people to live independent lives where they were able.
For more information:
If you’d like to find out more about Choices, see our Independent Living page or contact us on 01273 201 900 or email choices@grace-eyre.org.