NAS accreditation success for creative team at Durlands Road!

We know the difference our specialist autism support services make to the lives of autistic people across the UK. So, when they achieve a National Autistic Society (NAS) accreditation, we can’t wait to share the news! Recently, our Hampshire-based specialist autism care home, Durlands Road, achieved NAS accreditation success, demonstrating how they’re creating change for the people we support every day.

Their assessment celebrated their creative approach to communication and empowering the people we support to recognise their abilities, build confidence, and increase their independence.

The accreditation reinforces our dedication to providing the best possible support, fostering a more inclusive and understanding environment. Let’s work to focus on what autistic people can do, rather than what they can’t.

Alex Villanueva, Service Manager, Durlands Road

Specialist autism support

The NAS’ Autism Accreditation Programme is the UK’s only autism-specific quality assurance programme. Appraising the support and development of care providers, an accreditation shows an organisation’s commitment to understanding autism and setting the standard for autism practice. For our team at Durlands Road, led by Service Manager Alex Villanueva, it was an opportunity to show how they deliver life-changing support every day.

To prepare for their assessment, they completed an internal appraisal of their support. Through examples of their specialist autism support, they aimed to pinpoint how they empower the people we support to live with independence.

An important part of the accreditation process, the appraisal focused on how our team enhances social communication, interactions, and relationships for the people we support. It also showed some other key areas where they help the people we support to develop, so they can navigate daily life with a greater sense of independence. This included functional, daily living skills; sensory needs, and emotional wellbeing – all of which can impact an autistic person’s quality of life.

Conducting this self-assessment supported our dedicated team to understand what they achieve every day with the people we support. And, when it was time for their in-person assessment, they were prepared to show the incredible difference they’re making to the lives of our housemates at Durlands Road!

The assessment was conducted over two days. The assessor spent one day observing our team delivering specialist support and engaging in activities with the people we support. On the second day, our leadership team were interviewed.

They discussed how they support individuals to develop in key areas that contribute to independence for autistic people. Social communication skills and meaningful interactions with others were a big focus in the assessment. They also discussed how they promote self-reliance through developing functional skills, and the deep consideration they take for the impact sensory experiences have on emotional wellbeing.

During the assessment, our team demonstrated their understanding of each area, and how they’re supporting autistic individuals to live independent, healthy, happy lives!

Creative communication

As soon as our team at Durlands Road were notified of their assessment date, they knew they wanted to achieve the best possible outcome for the people we support. So, while they were preparing for their assessment, they attended some additional training opportunities.

This included advanced autism communication training and expanding their understanding of positive behavioural support techniques. Through this additional learning, they further developed their understanding of using positive language and considering sensory needs to reduce behaviours.

Their accreditation assessment celebrated their flexible approach to the unique communication preferences of each person we support, and how this positively impacted their wellbeing. Within the home, preferred communication methods include using objects and pictorial references, body language, and verbal communication. By continuously seeking opportunities to broaden their knowledge of autistic communication skills, our team adapts to individual needs and actively promotes self-expression and choices.

Our team’s innovative use of an interactive menu board was praised during their assessment. The board uses pictures to illustrate different food and drink choices for daily meals and snacks. The people we support are encouraged to use the board to make their meal choices, further empowering their independence through decision making.

Strong advocates for decision-making and self-expression, they also used each person’s preferred communication method to prepare them for the assessment. They discussed who was coming and what was happening. They also asked each person what activities they would like to do while the assessor was visiting, ensuring they felt comfortable at each point of the assessment process.

Effective, empowering support

Achieving NAS accredited status assures both the people we support and their families that our support is designed to enhance their quality of life. For Durlands Road, the accreditation award represents their commitment to delivering outstanding autism support. Demonstrating our person-centred approach, it also reflects how they continue to improve their own knowledge of autism, so they can further enhance quality of life for the people we support.

Through collaboration with the people we support and each other, Alex and our team have created innovative and effective methods for achieving this. In their assessment report, communication was highlighted as a key contributor to independence, alongside their approach to managing sensory sensitivities.

The award has also shown Alex and the team where their strengths lie and different avenues to explore, so they can continue developing their provision in innovative ways and delivering life-changing support to everyone who lives at Durlands Road.