Recently, our specialist autism service in Berkshire, Mayfair, celebrated a huge milestone when they achieved an accreditation from the National Autistic Society (NAS)!
At Mayfair, our team pride themselves on delivering life-changing support for autistic people, helping them gain independence and live the life they choose. This accreditation demonstrates their expert knowledge and how effective their specialist support is.
We caught up with Service Manager, Amanda Aragon, to learn more about the accreditation and how the team achieved it.
Q: Can you tell us how it feels to be recognised with this accreditation?
A: We can’t put it into words how happy we are. Each one of us deserves credit and should feel proud of this achievement.
The hard work doesn’t go unnoticed, and our specialist knowledge enables us to dive deeper into the needs of each autistic person and deliver support that’s right for them.
Q: What did the assessment involve?
A: When I became Service Manager, Mayfair had previously gone through an assessment and received an Aspiring rating. This gave us some valuable insight into areas for improvement.
We worked closely with Shaji Rajamony, our National Autism Lead at Voyage Care. He helped us identify where we could take that next step to achieve a full accreditation. Our team meetings gave us an opportunity to embrace the feedback and ensure we captured plenty of evidence, showcasing autism best practice.
We submitted our evidence, which included case studies, to the NAS. They highlighted how we’re delivering high-quality care to the people we support. They explained how our care is person-centred and is tailored to each person’s autistic needs.
We demonstrated our person-centred approach, and the assessor could see firsthand the positive relationships we’d built with the people we support.
Amanda Aragon, Service Manager at Mayfair
We treated assessment day like any other day. We introduced the people we support to the assessor and chose activities they were familiar with. This helped them feel comfortable and the assessor could observe them doing things that reflect their interests – and that they genuinely enjoy!
We demonstrated how we adapt activities for each person’s needs, and they could see first hand the positive relationships we’ve built with the people we support.
Their comfort, sense of safety, and how they engage with their activities, mirrored the quality of care we provide.
Q: What helped you and your team reach this milestone?
A: Receiving the news we’d been accredited was a special moment for the team. The hard work had paid off and it was a great feeling to know this had been recognised.
The key factors in us achieving this award were our teamwork and clear communicating with each other.
From the beginning I made sure everyone understood what was expected and why the accreditation is so important for Mayfair. We utilised team meetings to openly discuss the accreditation process and make sure no one had any concerns. We also shared feedback with each other and provided small wins that contributed to our quality of care.
My job as Service Manager was to put my team at ease and reassure them every part of the assessment was for the benefit of the people we support. It was an incredible chance to showcase the great work we do every day.
Q: What does the accreditation mean for the people we support?
A: This accreditation is meaningful to the people we support as much as it is to our team. It recognises that their care, wellbeing, and happiness are at the heart of everything we do.
Demonstrating our expertise in autism gives them reassurance that the support they’re receiving is of the highest quality, and their needs, choices and dignity are always respected.
Q: What’s next for the Mayfair team?
A: We’re always finding ways to develop as a team and enhance the care and support we offer. Our next goal is to go for an Advanced accreditation!
We will sit down as a team and assess the feedback the NAS has given us. We want to build on the strengths we’ve demonstrated, highlight any areas for improvement, and embed these enhanced practices into our daily routines.
Keeping a positive team spirit and communicating effectively is key to our future successes. Providing the people we support with an environment to thrive in is central to what we do and we can’t wait to see what the future brings.
Learn more about our specialist support!
Head over to our dedicated page to learn more about our life-changing, specialist autism support.
Here you can read the latest news, blog posts and views from our staff, the people we support and their families at our services across the UK.
