Ross-shire Women's Aid Housing Support Service Dingwall Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 1 November 2016 Service provided by: Ross-shire Women's Aid Service provider number: SP2004006082 Care service number: CS2004077809
About the service The Care Inspectorate regulates care services in Scotland. Information in relation to all care services is available on our website at www.careinspectorate.com. This service was previously registered with the Care Commission and transferred its registration to the Care Inspectorate on 1 April 2011. Ross-shire Women's Aid is affiliated to the National Women's Aid Federation. The aims and objectives of the service are to advocate for women who have suffered harm and also their children both locally and nationally. To offer support, information and a place of safety to women who have been harmed and this includes their children. To provide women affected by domestic abuse to determine their own lives. To recognise and meet the needs of children and young people. To promote policies and practices to prevent domestic abuse. To raise awareness of the extent and impact of domestic abuse in society. The service is managed by a manager and is overseen by a group of directors. What people told us We spoke with women who used this service and we were told that they were very happy with the level of support they received. Comments noted included the following: - Really a life saver for me. - Don't know what I would have done without this place. - I am really starting to look forward to the future now. - I did not think I had a future till I came here. - The staff are just great. - The staff are wonderful. - The support I have got is really good and I am very happy here. - Without Ross-Shire Women's Aid I don't think I could have survived the trauma that I go through. They help me every step of the way. - I have 24 hour contact with my support worker which has proved to be invaluable. page 2 of 6
- The service that they provide is of the utmost importance it is the best. - It is a pity they don't get more money for more staff. - They have made me a stronger person and I have all the support I need if I have a problem. I know they are only a phone call away. Self assessment The Care Inspectorate received a fully completed self-assessment from the provider. The provider identified what it thought the service did well and gave examples of improvements in areas such as, the environment. The selfassessment clearly identified some key areas that the provider believed can be improved and showed how the service intended to do this. The provider told us how the people who used the care service had taken part in the self-assessment process and how their feedback directed the development of their plans for improving the service. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership not assessed What the service does well Ross-shire Women's Aid continued to provide an excellent level of support to the women and children who used the service. The views of women were gained in various ways, for example, through day-to-day contact and in written questionnaires. The views of women and children were considered to be a fundamental part of the service to ensure it met their needs. Women were provided with a detailed information pack when they first entered the service. The information was clear and detailed the terms and conditions of the service provision. An initial safety and wellbeing assessment which covered all aspects of health and wellbeing was carried out. If there was any concerns identified about health, a referral would be made to the appropriate health care professional. However, any referral made was always carried out with the agreement of women. Thorough risk assessments were carried out. Any additional measures that required to be put in place were. Should the risk assessment identify a serious risk of harm a referral was made to the multi agency risk assessment conference (MARAC). Referrals to the MARAC team did not require the permission of women who were deemed to be at high risk of harm. The protocol in place required staff to make this referral as an additional protection for women and children. Minutes were recorded following any MARAC meeting and these identified any actions to be taken and by whom. page 3 of 6
Support Plans were in place for all women using the service. Support Plans had been drawn up in partnership with women. Support Plans identified specific work to be carried out and were reviewed on a regular basis. Staff who supported women and children were very experienced and skilled in their work. Staff were very dedicated to the work they carried out, to ensure the very best outcomes for women and children. Staff were recruited through a robust process. All safety checks were carried out and this included an enhanced Protection of Vulnerable Adults Check (PVG). All staff held, or were in the process of gaining the relevant qualifications to enable them to register with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) when required. At the current time, the register is not open to workers in this type of service. Staff were well supported by the management team. Staff received training to enhance their existing skills. However, training needs to continue especially in areas such as child protection, protection of vulnerable adults, first aid and other training which has lapsed. Staff was held in high regard by the women we spoke with. Comments noted included the following: - Staff have been a fantastic support to me and took me back from a very dark place. - Staff are very approachable. - Ross-Shire Women's Aid has a fantastic staff team. - I don't think I would be here today if it was not for my support worker. She provides me with support every step of the way. - My support worker goes above and beyond her duties. It was clear from the evidence that we found at this inspection that Ross-shire Women's Aid continued to meet and exceed the requirements of the National Care Standards. The support being provided to women and children was of an excellent standard and this had assisted to improve the lives of many women and children who used the service. What the service could do better Ross-Shire Women's Aid should ensure that staff continue to receive training to enhance their existing skills. Training in child protection and the protection of vulnerable adults should also be carried out and any refresher training should also be carried out. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 page 4 of 6
Complaints There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com. Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 12 Jan 2015 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 27 Aug 2013 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 16 Sep 2011 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 16 Feb 2009 Care and support 5 - Very good 5 - Very good Management and leadership 5 - Very good page 5 of 6
To find out more This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website. Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough. Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service. You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com Contact us Care Inspectorate Compass House 11 Riverside Drive Dundee DD1 4NY enquiries@careinspectorate.com 0345 600 9527 Find us on Facebook Twitter: @careinspect Other languages and formats This report is available in other languages and formats on request. Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas. page 6 of 6