Buchan Day Opportunities Support Service Glendaveny Peterhead AB42 3DY Telephone: 01779 838301 Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 6 February 2018 Service provided by: Aberdeenshire Council Service provider number: SP2003000029 Care service number: CS2003000296
About the service Operated by Aberdeenshire Council, Buchan Day Opportunities, (previously known as Willowbank Day Service), is registered to support a maximum of 80 adults a day. The service offers a range of services, activities and projects to adults with learning disabilities to meet their individual ambitions and needs. They provide skills development and training opportunities for people who are working toward greater independence. These opportunities are provided in a range of different venues within the long-established Willowbank setting and out in the wider community. For example: - The woodcraft project is based at Aden Country Park. - Glendaveny Bears (traditional jointed teddy bears) are made and sold from their own shop in Peterhead. The service also provides community and group opportunities for people building on personal learning and development who need support to participate in community activities. These include sports and activities, learning daily living skills, arts and crafts and more. Situated in the Willowbank setting just outside of Peterhead, Buchan Day Opportunities third strand is to provide a building based day service for people with a high level of support needs, such as people with profound and multiple disabilities as well as those with complex social needs. At the time of the inspection 55 were using the service. What people told us We spent time with 22 people who used this service, and received questionnaires from nine of their families. Some people told us they enjoyed attending the centre and liked the activities and the company of their friends and staff. Other people could not tell us what they liked. We spent a few hours with people as they took part in their activities and had their lunch. Our observations suggest that staff knew them well and that people were confident with them and, were able to direct how they wanted to spend their time in the service. People's views, and our observations, have greatly informed our findings and we have included them throughout the main body of the report. In summary, people were very happy. They enjoyed their activities; they liked their staff and the management. Their family felt management ran the service very well. There were a couple of critical comments about the Willowbank building: "The Day Centre has not been upgraded for a long time", and "The main building is very run down". We found the building was in need of attention, but it was clean and warm and staff used it well. However, we were pleased that management already had plans to improve these premises. Some more comments from people were; - "(they are)always content/happy to attend Willowbank". - "They all help me. Staff are nice to me...they make me laugh and have fun with me". page 2 of 6
- "I like who I work with". - "...I am often asked my opinion. I am also offered to attend when they interview people for new staff vacancies". - "...my (relative) is looked after with care and dedication... they listen to any concerns I may have... I would be lost without them and rest easy knowing she is in their care". - "... all the staff members play a part...the bus driver is always great with (them)...the cleaners are always friendly. Willowbank is a well-led, happy centre". - "Staff seem to be very well trained". Self assessment We did not ask the service to complete a self assessment as part of this inspection. From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of environment Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership 5 - Very Good not assessed not assessed 5 - Very Good What the service does well This service provided very good support to people with a variety of different needs. We award the 'very good' grade when a service's performance has major strengths. People appeared interested in their activities, and laughter and friendships were evident throughout our visits. Staff supported people with warmth and genuine concern. Staff supported people to be as independent as possible, making the most of their skills and not rushing them. Family said, "I have always witnessed lots of patience...by staff". Our inspection volunteer commented, "the atmosphere everywhere was warm, friendly and relaxed, but at the same time efficient". Staff were skilled at encouraging people to be involved in day to day decisions about how they used their environment. This showed us that staff listened to people and valued their views and opinions. A family member said that staff "encourage choice making. Often rearranging plan to suit the desires of my (family member)". The service had an effective professional team, led by a skilled manager who was very good at motivating her staff. Staff felt well supported and held the manager in high esteem. Family members also commented that the manager and staff "have always gone above and beyond what would be expected of them". The management and staff focussed on providing a service to each person as an individual. Staff supported people in keeping with their detailed support plans. The plans were very good at describing people as individuals. Staff had clearly involved them and their family, where appropriate, in their production. Family members confirmed this and one said of the plan, "It covers (the person's) likes and dislikes and all of (their) wee page 3 of 6
quirks". The manager also arranged for person specific training for staff to enable them to meet a person's needs prior to them starting to attend the service. The management team was very good at learning. They had good systems, such as incident and accident records that they used to identify if people's support needed changing. They set goals to make improvements to their service and had made very good progress, for example, in how they managed medication support. What the service could do better The service had moved to a system of keeping their records electronically. Staff need to remember to change the dates on the electronic templates when they use them to create a record, for example when writing up their review record. The manager had started a new file auditing system that should help staff with this new format of record keeping. Requirements Number of requirements: 0 Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0 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 Dec 2014 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 9 Nov 2012 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership page 4 of 6
Date Type Gradings 18 Aug 2010 Announced Care and support Not assessed Not assessed Management and leadership 30 Sep 2009 Announced Care and support 4 - Good Management and leadership 4 - Good 28 Aug 2008 Announced Care and support 4 - Good 4 - Good 4 - Good Management and leadership 4 - 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