Purpose of the Consultation
Larkspur Care undertook this consultation to ensure that the development of our services is informed by the experiences, priorities and expectations of people who may need to, or already do, access care and support, their families, carers and others with relevant lived experience.
We wanted to understand not only what people value in good care, but also where existing services can fall short and what people believe providers need to do differently.
The consultation was designed to explore:
● what people have found helpful or positive when receiving care and support; ● what has caused frustration, distress or dissatisfaction;
● what people wish care providers better understood about them;
● what helps people feel safe, respected, listened to and in control;
● what contributes to good relationships with care staff;
● what people believe would improve the quality and consistency of care; and ● what Larkspur Care should consider when designing and delivering its services.
The findings will be used alongside professional evidence, commissioner engagement, legislation, regulatory expectations and recognised good practice to inform the continuing development of Larkspur Care.
Importantly, the consultation is not being treated as a one-off exercise. It forms part of our wider commitment to co-production, continuous improvement and ensuring that people who receive care and support have a meaningful influence over how services are designed, delivered and reviewed.
From Feedback to Improvement
Our approach is to listen directly to people with lived experience, families, carers and other contributors, then understand what we have heard by identifying recurring themes, individual experiences, strengths, barriers and areas where care could be better. We then act on those findings by using them to influence service design, policies, recruitment, training, care planning and quality assurance. Finally, we review whether the changes we make are having
the intended effect and continue to seek feedback so that improvement remains an ongoing process.
Methodology
Consultation Approach
The consultation was designed to gather meaningful feedback from people with lived experience of care and support, as well as families, carers and other relevant contributors.
A survey was used to explore people's experiences of care, what they felt worked well, where support could be improved and what they believed care providers should understand or do differently. The questions included both structured and free-text responses so that participants could share their experiences in their own words.
Participation was voluntary, and respondents were given the option to reply anonymously to encourage openness and honest reflection, particularly where they wished to share negative experiences or concerns about previous care and support. As respondents were not current
Larkspur Care clients and the consultation was intended to identify broader themes rather than investigate individual complaints, attribution was not required for the purposes of the survey. Where any response indicated a specific safeguarding concern or risk of harm, this would be considered separately in line with appropriate safeguarding responsibilities.
The survey was shared through appropriate networks and contacts to reach people with relevant experience of care and support, and remained open for 10 days.
Themes Explored
The survey explored a range of themes relating to people's experiences and expectations of care and support.
These included:
● what good care looks and feels like;
● communication and being listened to;
● consistency and continuity of staff;
● choice, control and independence;
● staff understanding, knowledge and competence;
● sensory, environmental and individual needs;
● relationships with families and carers;
● reliability and flexibility of support;
● aspirations, outcomes and quality of life;
● barriers or poor experiences within existing services; and
● what people would like care providers to do differently.
These themes were used to guide the consultation while still allowing respondents space to raise issues that were important to them in their own words.
Analysis Method
Responses were reviewed thematically to identify recurring issues, positive experiences, areas of concern and suggestions for improvement.
The analysis considered both the frequency of themes and the significance of individual comments. This was important because an issue raised by only one or two respondents may still identify a serious or meaningful concern and should not be dismissed simply because it was less common.
Free-text responses were considered alongside structured survey answers to provide a fuller understanding of people's experiences and priorities.
The findings were then considered alongside Larkspur Care's developing service model, professional evidence, commissioner engagement, regulatory expectations and recognised good practice.
Limitations
The findings will be interpreted proportionately and should not be treated as statistically representative of all people who receive care and support.
The consultation provides valuable lived-experience insight rather than population-level research. Any limitations relating to sample size, respondent mix, representation or incomplete demographic information will therefore be acknowledged within the report.
Where particular groups or perspectives appear to be under-represented, this will be identified as an area for further engagement and future co-production activity.
Profile of Respondents
Understanding who contributed to the consultation helps place the findings in context and provides transparency about the range of perspectives represented.
The consultation included people with lived experience of receiving care and support, family members, unpaid carers and other individuals with relevant experience. Respondents were able to provide background information about their relationship to care and support where they wished to do so.
The purpose of collecting this information was not to identify individuals, but to understand the breadth of experience represented within the consultation and to recognise any gaps in participation.
Where respondents chose to remain anonymous, only the non-identifying information they voluntarily provided has been used within this report.
Respondent Overview
The consultation received 9 responses in total.
Respondents included:
● 33.3% (3) people with lived experience of receiving care and support;
● 55.6% (5) family members or unpaid carers;
● 11.1% (1)professionals or people with relevant experience of care services
Fig.1 - respondent table
Experience Represented
Respondents primarily reflected experience relating to learning disabilities and autism, which was the main focus of the consultation. This ensured that the findings are grounded in the views of people with lived experience of these needs, as well as those who support them.
Where disclosed, respondents also described experience relating to:
● learning disabilities;
● autism;
● complex or multiple support needs;
● physical disabilities or long-term health conditions;
● mental health needs; and
● domiciliary, community or other care services.
This focus on learning disability and autism provided particularly strong insight into the day-to-day realities of support, including what works well, what could be improved, and what matters most to people and families.
ight into both common themes and differences in what people value from care and support. Representation and Interpretation
The respondent profile provides important context for the findings but should not be interpreted as statistically representative of the wider population.
Some groups may have been represented more strongly than others, and not every respondent provided demographic or background information. This means that percentages and numerical findings will be presented alongside the actual number of respondents wherever possible.
The report therefore focuses on the value of lived experience, recurring themes and the significance of individual perspectives rather than attempting to generalise the findings beyond the scope of the consultation.
Any areas of limited representation identified through this process will inform future engagement and co-production activity.
Findings from the Consultation
The consultation provided clear and consistent insight into what respondents value in good support, where they experience gaps, and what would make them more or less likely to use a service.
Although the consultation involved a relatively small number of respondents, the responses showed strong agreement across several areas. The findings should therefore be understood as lived-experience insight rather than population-level evidence, but they provide a useful and credible basis for service development.
A recurring message throughout the consultation was that people are not simply asking for more support. They are asking for support that is the right fit for the individual: flexible, respectful, consistent, easy to access and delivered by people who take time to understand them.
A Gap in Suitable Local Support
A strong theme was the perceived lack of suitable support for autistic adults who may be relatively independent but still require help with some aspects of everyday life.
8 of the 9 respondents said they did not believe there was enough suitable support available for this group.
Similarly, 8 of the 9 respondents believed there was a local need for specialist support for autistic adults.
Respondents described barriers including limited choice, uncertainty about what support is available, difficulty finding services that fit individual needs and a lack of appropriate specialist understanding.
This suggests that the issue is not simply the overall quantity of care available. Respondents also identified a gap in support that is sufficiently flexible and individualised for autistic adults who may not fit more traditional models of social care.
Transition from Children’s to Adult Support
The age profile of respondents identified a further area of interest.
Five of the nine respondents were answering about an autistic person aged 18–25, making this the largest age group represented within the consultation.
Within this group, four of the five respondents said they did not believe there was enough suitable support available, and four believed there was a local need for specialist support for autistic adults. All five said they would either use or consider flexible support if it were available.
Three of the five were not currently receiving paid or formal support at home.
Although the sample is too small to draw population-level conclusions, the responses suggest that the period around transition into adulthood may be particularly important.
Moving from children’s services into adult life can involve changes not only in formal services, but also in education, health care, social networks, family roles, independence and expectations about the future. Support needs may therefore continue even where a young adult does not require traditional or intensive social care.
The findings indicate a potential need for support that helps young autistic adults build and maintain independence during this period, including support with everyday living, confidence, community access, relationships, health care, routines and navigating adult services.
This theme warrants further exploration through future engagement with young autistic adults, families, commissioners and professionals involved in transition planning.
Flexible Support and the Type of Help People Want
Interest in flexible support was high.
When asked whether they would consider using flexible support to help maintain independence:
● 7 respondents said yes; and
● 2 respondents said maybe.
No respondent said they would definitely not consider this type of support.
The types of help people described varied considerably. These included:
● daily living tasks;
● personal care;
● community access;
● confidence-building;
● directions and navigation;
● managing bills;
● support during illness;
● hospital attendance; and
● more intensive one-to-one support where needs were more complex.
There was also no single preferred way for support to be delivered.
Some respondents preferred occasional support when needed, some wanted regular agreed visits, some preferred support outside the home and others wanted a mixture of different approaches.
This indicates that flexibility is not simply about timing. It also means recognising that support needs differ between individuals and may change according to circumstances.
Consistency, Trust and Relationship-Based Support Consistency emerged as one of the strongest findings.
When asked how important it would be to have the same support worker or a small consistent team:
● 6 respondents said extremely important;
● 2 said very important; and
● 1 was unsure.
No respondent described consistency as unimportant.
Respondents linked continuity with trust, familiarity and feeling comfortable accepting support.
Several said they would want to meet workers before support began or have time to get to know them gradually.
One respondent described the importance of:
“Meeting outside the home first to build trust.”
Another emphasised that:
“Consistency is key.”
High staff turnover and reliance on unfamiliar or agency workers were specifically identified as reasons someone might choose not to use a provider.
The responses therefore suggest that continuity is not simply a preference for familiar faces. It is closely connected to trust, communication, predictability and emotional safety.
Choice and Matching of Support Workers
Choice over who provides support was also important.
All respondents considered choosing who supports them important to some degree, with the majority describing this as either very important or extremely important.
Most notably, all 9 respondents said that being matched with a support worker according to factors such as personality, communication style, interests and preferences would be important.
Respondents described wanting workers who were:
● friendly;
● relatable;
● caring;
● appropriately trained;
● experienced;
● respectful;
● able to understand autism and the individual person.
The findings suggest that compatibility is an important element of good support rather than an optional extra.
A worker may have appropriate qualifications or experience but still not be the right match for a particular person.
Respect, Dignity and Independence
Respect and dignity featured repeatedly across the responses.
Respondents identified a number of behaviours or approaches that would make them uncomfortable or lead them to reject a provider.
These included:
● being patronising;
● being judgemental;
● being overbearing;
● imposing views;
● asking excessive or intrusive questions;
● failing to listen;
● undermining family members;
● assuming the person is incapable; and
● taking over unnecessarily.
One respondent wrote:
“I’m not incapable, I just live alone.”
Another described dignity as:
“a huge thing.”
The comments demonstrate an important distinction between needing support and lacking independence or capability.
Several responses suggested that poor support can become disempowering when staff assume that needing help in one area means the person cannot make decisions or manage other aspects of their life.
Understanding the Individual, Not Just Autism
One of the clearest qualitative themes was that general knowledge of autism is not enough. Respondents repeatedly emphasised that staff need to understand the individual person. One family respondent said that a:
“one size fits all”
approach would not work.
Others described the importance of workers understanding:
● individual communication styles;
● routines;
● preferences;
● sensory and environmental needs;
● independence and abilities;
● family dynamics;
● what helps the person feel comfortable;
● what causes distress;
● how the person experiences the world.
One respondent summarised this simply as:
“If they understood autism and me.”
The responses therefore make an important distinction between autism-informed support and person-centred support, and demonstrated that respondents wanted both.
Accessibility, Cost and Information
Practical barriers were also raised.
Respondents identified:
● cost;
● limited choice;
● lack of suitable services;
● uncertainty about what support is available;
● not knowing where to seek help;
● concerns about support fitting individual needs; and
● uncertainty about how workers would fit into existing family or household routines.
Some respondents also indicated that services need to be clearer and easier to access. One response specifically called for:
“Clear services that are easy to access.”
This suggests that even where appropriate support exists, people may struggle to use it if information is unclear, routes into services are difficult to navigate or the service model is insufficiently flexible.
Families, Carers and the Wider Support Network Family relationships were also important within the responses.
Some respondents described the need for support workers to understand family routines and build positive relationships within the household.
One parent emphasised that support workers should:
“build a rapport with everyone in the house, not just the service user.”
Another described the importance of parents or main carers not being undermined.
At the same time, autistic respondents emphasised their own independence, privacy and right to make decisions about their support.
Taken together, these responses suggest that good support should recognise the value of family knowledge while keeping the person receiving support at the centre of decision-making.
Positive Features of Good Support
The consultation did not only identify problems.
Respondents also described the features that would help them feel confident using support. These included:
● friendly and relatable workers;
● gradual introductions;
● confidentiality;
● non-judgemental practice;
● good communication;
● understanding autism;
● flexibility;
● relevant training and experience;
● respect for independence;
● choice over support workers;
● consistency;
● taking time to get to know the person.
These responses provide a useful picture of what good support should feel like from the perspective of people receiving it.
Overall Interpretation
Across the consultation, respondents consistently described support that should fit around the person rather than requiring the person to fit around the service.
The strongest themes were:
Consistency. Choice. Respect. Flexibility. Understanding. Independence.
The findings suggest that good support depends not only on completing agreed tasks, but on the quality of the relationship between the person and the worker, the extent to which the person feels understood, and whether support increases rather than reduces choice and independence.
The consultation also suggests a perceived gap in accessible, flexible and specialist support for autistic adults who may need assistance with aspects of everyday life without necessarily requiring a traditional or intensive care model.
These findings form the basis for the next section, which sets out what the consultation means for the design and development of Larkspur Care.
Fig.2 responses to key questions
What the Findings Mean for Larkspur Care
The consultation findings provide a clear direction for how Larkspur Care should design, deliver and review its services.
Some findings reinforce principles that were already central to Larkspur Care's developing model, while others provide greater detail about what people expect from a provider and where particular attention will be needed in practice.
The findings have therefore been translated into a series of service commitments.
Consistency and Continuity
The consultation showed that continuity of staff is highly important to respondents and closely linked to trust, familiarity and feeling comfortable receiving support.
Larkspur Care will therefore aim to provide small, consistent staff teams wherever practicable.
This will include:
● introducing staff before support begins wherever possible and ensuring preference for location of introductions is recorded and accounted for;
● allowing time for trust and familiarity to develop;
● considering continuity when planning rotas and contingency arrangements; ● minimising unnecessary use of unfamiliar staff;
● involving people in decisions where staffing changes are required; and
● monitoring continuity as part of quality assurance.
Consistency will not be treated simply as a staffing preference, but as an important element of safe, effective and person-centred support.
Transition to Adulthood and Building Independence
The consultation suggests that transition into adulthood may represent an important point at which autistic people and their families can experience gaps in suitable support.
Larkspur Care will recognise transition as more than a change from children’s to adult services. It can involve significant changes in education, health care, routines, relationships, family involvement, community participation and expectations of independence.
Where appropriate to the person’s assessed needs and Larkspur Care’s scope of service, support will focus on helping young adults develop and maintain skills, confidence and independence rather than creating unnecessary long-term dependence.
This may include support with:
● everyday living skills;
● community access and travel;
● developing confidence;
● establishing adult routines;
● accessing health services;
● communication and self-advocacy;
● developing social and community connections;
● understanding available adult support;
● preparing for changes in education, work or living arrangements; and
● identifying when additional specialist or statutory support may be required.
Larkspur Care will work collaboratively with the individual, their family or supporters where appropriate, and relevant professionals to promote continuity and reduce avoidable gaps during transition.
Meaningful Choice and Staff Matching
The consultation demonstrated that people want meaningful choice over who supports them and value being matched with workers who are compatible with them as individuals.
Larkspur Care will therefore build staff matching into assessment and care planning. Matching will consider factors such as:
● personality;
● communication style;
● interests and preferences;
● sensory needs;
● cultural and personal preferences;
● relevant skills and experience;
● routines;
● the person's own wishes;
● compatibility with the wider household where appropriate.
People will be encouraged to provide feedback where a staff match is not working well, and alternative arrangements will be considered wherever reasonably possible.
Supporting Independence Rather Than Taking Over
A clear message from the consultation was that needing support in one area should not be interpreted as a lack of capability overall.
Larkspur Care will therefore use a strengths-based approach that identifies:
● what the person can do independently;
● what they would like support with;
● where additional confidence or skills can be developed; and
● how support can increase rather than reduce independence.
Staff will be expected to avoid unnecessary intervention, patronising language or restrictive approaches.
Support will focus on enabling people to retain control over their own lives, make informed choices and take positive risks where appropriate.
Understanding the Individual
The consultation reinforced an important distinction between understanding autism and understanding the individual autistic person.
Larkspur Care's assessment and care-planning processes will therefore explore each person's:
● communication preferences;
● sensory needs;
● routines;
● strengths and abilities;
● interests;
● environmental preferences;
● sources of distress;
● coping and regulation strategies;
● goals and aspirations; and
● views about what good support looks like for them.
Staff training will provide relevant knowledge about autism, but individual care plans, observation, communication and relationship-building will determine how that knowledge is applied in practice.
Larkspur Care will also remain alert to the risk of diagnostic overshadowing, where changes in a person’s presentation, behaviour or wellbeing may be incorrectly attributed to autism rather than prompting consideration of physical health, mental health, environmental, communication or other underlying causes. Staff will be expected to recognise change, remain professionally curious and escalate concerns appropriately.
Flexible and Outcome-Focused Support
Respondents described a wide range of support needs and did not identify one single preferred model of service delivery.
Larkspur Care will therefore seek to design support around individual outcomes and circumstances rather than requiring people to fit unnecessarily rigid service structures.
Depending on assessed need and agreed arrangements, this may include:
● regular planned visits;
● occasional or time-limited support;
● community-based support;
● longer periods of support;
● assistance with specific goals or activities;
● support during periods of increased need; and
● review and adjustment as circumstances change.
Flexibility will be balanced with safe staffing, reliability and the agreed terms of each person's support package.
Accessible Information and Routes into Support
The consultation identified barriers including limited information, uncertainty about available services, cost and difficulty identifying appropriate support.
Larkspur Care will therefore provide clear and accessible information about:
● the support it offers;
● who the service is suitable for;
● how to make an enquiry;
● what happens during assessment;
● costs and funding arrangements;
● what people can expect from support;
● how preferences and choices will be considered; and
● what happens where Larkspur is unable to meet someone's needs.
Information will be written in clear language and accessible formats will be used where required.
Larkspur Care will not require a formal diagnosis as the sole basis for recognising or responding to a person’s needs. Where an individual presents with communication, sensory, cognitive, behavioural or other support needs, these will be assessed on their own merits and support will be considered according to the person’s needs, preferences, risks and outcomes. A lack of formal diagnosis will not in itself be used to exclude someone from appropriate support.
Families, Carers and Support Networks
The consultation highlighted the value of family knowledge while also reinforcing the rights, independence and privacy of the person receiving support.
Larkspur Care will work collaboratively with families, carers, advocates and other important people where the individual wants them to be involved.
The person's consent, capacity, wishes and right to privacy will determine how information is shared and how others participate in care planning and decision-making.
Families will be treated as valued partners where appropriate, but their involvement will not replace the voice or rights of the person receiving support.
Workforce Recruitment and Development and Retention
The consultation showed that consistency of staff is important to people receiving support and that high turnover or frequent use of unfamiliar workers can undermine trust, continuity and confidence in a service.
Larkspur Care recognises that consistency for people receiving support depends on creating working conditions in which staff feel valued, supported, competent and able to remain in their roles.
Larkspur Care will therefore seek to promote workforce stability through a range of measures, including:
● values-based recruitment and careful staff matching;
● clear induction and role expectations;
● regular supervision, reflective practice and access to management support; ● relevant training and competency development;
● opportunities for professional growth and increased responsibility;
● recognition of good practice and staff contribution;
● fair and transparent pay and employment arrangements;
● predictable rotas and reasonable continuity of working patterns wherever possible; ● consideration of staff wellbeing, workload and burnout risks;
● involving staff in service development and improvement;
● creating an open culture where concerns can be raised safely;
● monitoring turnover, sickness, vacancies and workforce stability through governance arrangements.
Recruitment will consider not only qualifications and experience, but also values,
communication skills, emotional intelligence, flexibility and the ability to build respectful and lasting relationships.
Training and competency assessment will include areas such as autism-informed practice, communication, sensory understanding, dignity and respect, strengths-based practice, Positive Behaviour Support where relevant, least restrictive practice, promoting independence, working collaboratively with families and recognising when approaches need to be adapted.
By investing in staff support, development and retention, Larkspur Care aims to create greater continuity for the people receiving support and reduce avoidable reliance on unfamiliar or temporary workers.
Quality Assurance and Ongoing Co-production The consultation will not be treated as a one-off exercise.
The findings will inform Larkspur Care's quality assurance arrangements, including:
● care reviews;
● feedback;
● complaints and compliments;
● audits;
● staff supervision;
● quality monitoring;
● governance review; and
● future co-production activity.
Larkspur Care will continue to seek feedback from people receiving support and those important to them and will use this information to assess whether the approaches identified in this consultation are working in practice.
Where feedback shows that something is not working as intended, changes will be made and reviewed.
Overall Service Commitment
The consultation reinforces a clear expectation that good support should fit around the person rather than require the person to fit around the service.
Larkspur Care will therefore seek to provide support that is:
individualised, consistent, flexible, respectful, skilled, relationship-based and focused on independence.
These commitments will be translated into specific actions and evidence measures through the next section of this report: You Said – We Will.
You Said, We Will: Turning Feedback Into Action
Listening is only meaningful when it leads to action.
As part of our consultation, people shared their experiences of care and support, told us what matters to them and identified areas where services could work better.
We've considered this feedback carefully and used it to shape how Larkspur Care develops its services, supports its workforce and measures the quality of care we provide.
Here's what we heard, what we learned and what we're committing to do.
1. Consistency Builds TrustYou said: Consistency matters, and high staff turnover can undermine trust.What we understood: Familiarity helps people feel safe, confident and understood. Consistent staff are better able to recognise individual communication styles, preferences and changes in someone's needs.We will: Build small, consistent staff teams wherever practicable. We will also invest in recruitment, meaningful supervision, professional development and staff wellbeing to support retention.How we'll know it's working: We'll monitor staff continuity, review rotas and turnover, and listen to feedback from the people receiving support about the consistency of their care.2. Choice Includes Who Supports YouYou said: People want a say in who provides their care and support.What we understood: Compatibility matters. The right support relationship depends on more than qualifications and experience. Personality, communication, shared interests and mutual understanding all contribute.We will: Involve people in staff matching wherever possible, considering their preferences, interests, communication styles, individual needs and compatibility with potential support staff.How we'll know it's working: We'll record preferences during assessment, review the effectiveness of staff matching and ask people whether they feel comfortable and understood by those supporting them.3. Respect Means Recognising People's AbilitiesYou said: People don't want to be patronised, judged or treated as incapable.What we understood: Good care should build on people's strengths and promote autonomy, dignity and independence. Support should not unnecessarily take over tasks that someone can do themselves.We will: Use strengths-based, least-restrictive approaches and support positive risk-taking where appropriate. We'll focus on what people can do, what they want to achieve and how we can support them to develop their abilities.How we'll know it's working: We'll review care plans, observe practice, assess staff competencies and seek feedback about whether people feel respected and in control of their support.4. Young Adults Need Support That Reflects Their Stage of LifeYou said: Many respondents aged 18–25 described difficulties finding suitable support.What we understood: Moving into adulthood can create gaps between children's services, expectations of increasing independence and traditional adult social care. Young adults may need support that reflects their age, aspirations and developing independence.We will: Consider transition needs during assessment and provide outcome-focused support, where this falls within our service scope, to help young adults develop practical skills, confidence and independence.How we'll know it's working: We'll monitor transition-related goals, individual outcomes, referral patterns and feedback from young adults and their families.5. Changes in Behaviour Deserve Curiosity, Not AssumptionsYou said: Changes in behaviour or presentation should not automatically be attributed to autism.What we understood: Diagnostic overshadowing can mean that physical illness, mental health difficulties, communication needs or environmental factors are overlooked.We will: Promote professional curiosity across our workforce. When someone's presentation changes, staff will be encouraged and expected to consider possible physical, psychological, communication-related and environmental causes rather than making assumptions based on a diagnosis.How we'll know it's working: We'll examine staff training, incident reviews, escalation records, supervision discussions and care-plan updates to see whether changes are being recognised, explored and responded to appropriately.6. Support Should Fit Around People's LivesYou said: People want flexibility rather than rigid services that expect everyone to fit the same model.What we understood: People have different routines, interests, responsibilities and aspirations. A standardised approach may not provide the support someone actually needs.We will: Offer flexible, person-centred and outcome-focused support within safe staffing arrangements and agreed care plans. We'll work with people to understand what meaningful support looks like in their individual circumstances.How we'll know it's working: We'll review care plans, individual outcomes and feedback to understand whether support is meeting people's needs and adapting when those needs change.7. Accessing Support Shouldn't Be ComplicatedYou said: Services can be difficult to understand, navigate and access.What we understood: Even a good service can be inaccessible if people cannot easily understand what it offers, who it supports, how much it costs or how to arrange care.We will: Provide clear, accessible information about our services, eligibility, costs, assessments and potential funding routes. We will consider different communication and accessibility needs when sharing this information.How we'll know it's working: We'll review our website and information materials, monitor enquiries and ask people whether the information we provide is understandable and accessible.8. Needs Matter More Than Diagnostic LabelsYou said: A lack of formal diagnosis should not automatically prevent someone from accessing appropriate support.What we understood: People may have significant support needs without a confirmed diagnosis. Access to care should be considered according to individual circumstances rather than diagnostic paperwork alone.We will: Consider referrals based on assessed needs, individual preferences, risks, desired outcomes and whether Larkspur Care can safely and appropriately meet those needs.How we'll know it's working: We'll review referral decisions, assessment records and reasons for declining support to ensure our approach remains fair, consistent and needs-led.9. Families and Carers Have Valuable KnowledgeYou said: Families and carers often understand a person's needs, preferences and experiences in ways that services may not initially recognise.What we understood: Families can offer important insight and continuity. However, involving families must never mean overlooking the individual's own rights, wishes or choices.We will: Work collaboratively with families and carers where appropriate and with the person's consent or another appropriate lawful basis. The individual will remain central to decisions about their care and support.How we'll know it's working: We'll review consent arrangements, care planning, involvement in reviews and feedback from both people receiving support and their families.10. Great Care Starts With Great RelationshipsYou said: People want staff who are caring, respectful, skilled and capable of building genuine relationships.What we understood: Technical knowledge and practical competence are essential, but they are not enough on their own. Compassion, communication, emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust are equally important.We will: Recruit for values and personal attributes alongside skills and experience. Our recruitment, induction, supervision and development processes will place meaningful relationships at the centre of good care.How we'll know it's working: We'll examine recruitment and interview processes, probation reviews, staff competencies, supervision records and feedback from the people we support.Closing the Feedback LoopOur commitment doesn't end with publishing these findings.The actions outlined above will inform how we develop our services, recruit and support staff, plan individual care and evaluate the quality of what we deliver.We'll incorporate these commitments into our operational arrangements, workforce development and quality assurance processes.Through ongoing governance reviews and opportunities for co-production, we'll examine whether our actions are producing meaningful improvements.And when something isn't working, we'll listen again, reflect and make changes.Because the purpose of consultation isn't simply to demonstrate that people were asked for their views. It's to demonstrate that their views made a difference.At Larkspur Care, we want people to be able to see the connection between what they told us, what we changed and what happened as a result.
Conclusion and Next Steps
This consultation has provided Larkspur Care with valuable lived-experience insight into what people value from home and community support and where existing provision may not always meet people's needs.
Although the number of respondents was relatively small, the consistency of the feedback across several themes provides useful direction for service development. In particular, respondents emphasised the importance of consistency, meaningful choice, respectful relationships, flexibility, individual understanding and support that promotes rather than replaces independence.
The consultation has also highlighted a perceived gap in accessible and appropriate support for autistic adults who may require help with aspects of everyday life without necessarily fitting traditional models of care.
The findings have been used to inform Larkspur Care's developing approach to:
● assessment and care planning;
● staff recruitment, matching, development and retention;
● continuity of support;
● communication and sensory understanding;
● strengths-based and least-restrictive practice;
● accessible routes into support;
● family and carer involvement;
● quality assurance; and
● ongoing co-production.
This report represents the beginning of that process rather than the end.
As Larkspur Care develops and begins supporting people, we will continue to seek feedback directly from people receiving support, families, carers, staff and other stakeholders. Future consultation will allow us to test whether the principles identified through this survey are being experienced in practice and to identify where further change is needed.
Actions arising from this report will be reviewed through Larkspur Care's governance arrangements, with responsibility, progress and evidence of implementation monitored over time.
Our continuing approach will be simple:
Listen. Understand. Act. Review.
The measure of successful co-production will not be whether we asked people for their views, but whether those views can be seen in the way Larkspur Care develops, delivers and improves its services.
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