Cornish charity Spectrum is celebrating after three of its homes have been officially accredited by the National Autistic Society – an internationally recognised quality standard.

The accreditation benchmark is proof that St Erme, which consists of three properties in the grounds of a former rectory in St Erme near Truro, is committed to understanding autism and setting the standard for autism practice. It is the first Spectrum home to receive accreditation.

Autism Accreditation is the mark of ambitious organisations that aspire to put the interests of autistic people at the heart of what they do. Accredited services get global recognition, the Autism Accreditation mark, access to a network of experts and ongoing advice from specialists.

Sharon Groves, divisional manager at St Erme, said: “We are delighted to be officially recognised as an excellent Autism Specific Service by the NAS Accreditation, establishing Spectrum as one of the leading providers in the support of individuals with autism.

“The specialist care support team at St Erme deserve every bit of this recognition. They are dedicated to ensuring that Spectrum service users are supported with evidence based autism knowledge and techniques, which enables them to have an exceptional person centred quality of life.”

Gaining accreditation has been the result of months of hard work. In order to prove to assessors that its provision is truly autism-specific, Spectrum had to demonstrate how its practices and delivery focus on autism and how they differ from those found in care services for people with other disabilities and needs.

This included visits to the home, interviewing service users and their families, observing service users and team members and interviewing specialists who work with Spectrum.

Rachel Brown, Spectrum’s assistant head of development, said: “This is a very exciting period for us. Accreditation has given us a chance to showcase our autism-specific approaches, which are at the heart of our care provision for people with the condition.”

Spectrum has 22 adult residential homes in Cornwall, creating safe and nurturing environments to match the needs and aspirations of those who live in them.