The Care Quality Commission has rated Affinity Trust’s support in West Kent ‘Good’ in all five categories – caring, effective, responsive, safe and well-led.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of social care in England, carried out the inspection in November 2019.  In West Kent, Affinity Trust supports 28 people living in 15 locations.

The inspection was carried out by three inspectors, who visited the Ashford office as well as people’s homes. They spoke to four people who are supported by Affinity Trust, as well as their relatives, staff, and health professionals.

The inspectors found:

• Staff treated people with warmth and affection

• Staff provided emotional support when it was needed, backed up by guidance and training

• Wherever possible, people were supported to do things themselves, with minimal support

• People were supported to maintain important relationships – one relative said that staff enabled their relation to visit them at home and keep in touch by phone.

People were also supported to follow their interests. For instance, one person enjoyed visiting National Trust properties and places with wildlife, all of which was recorded in their support plan.  People’s cultural and religious needs were identified; one person was supported to attend church regularly.

CQC found the support provided was well-led, and staff described a positive, open culture. One said: “We are very well supported, our manager is lovely and very approachable.”

Managers regularly visited each person’s home, to talk to people living there and to staff, and to monitor the quality of the support provided.

Staff said they had received the training and support they needed, and praised Affinity Trust’s new reward and recognition systems (like the staff awards scheme launched in 2019). One said: “It has been very positive for staff morale and given us all something to aim for and celebrate.”

The ‘Good’ rating for West Kent means that, since July 2018, all Affinity Trust’s registered locations in England have been rated ‘Good’ by CQC.

Read the full report on CQC’s website
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