Alzheimer Scotland - Fife Service Support Service 12 Whytescauseway Kirkcaldy KY1 1XF Telephone: 01592 204541 Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 6 September 2017 Service provided by: Alzheimer Scotland - Action on Dementia Service provider number: SP2003002734 Care service number: CS2004070697
About the service Alzheimer Scotland - Action on Dementia is a Scottish charity which offers support and information to people with dementia and their carers by providing specialist national and local services. Alzheimer Scotland - Fife Service is registered with the Care Inspectorate to provide day care and a home support service to people with dementia who live in Fife. The Fife service provided information on dementia and ran various local services for those living with dementia and their families. This included dementia cafes, activity groups within the resource centre, support at home and day care services. The aim of the registered service was to facilitate a supportive environment where practical and emotional needs were addressed, providing support and promoting integration within the local community. The values underpinning the aims and objectives of the service are clearly laid out in national and local literature and websites. The service strongly promoted the belief that people should not face dementia alone. The service is in great demand, and unfortunately recognised that they were unable to meet the needs of all in Fife with a dementia diagnosis. What people told us For this inspection we received the views of eight people through questionnaires. During our visit we spent time with five people who were at day care. People were very positive about the support they received from Alzheimer Scotland. They felt respected and listened to and were confident in the skill of the staff who supported them. Self assessment We did not ask the provider to complete a self-assessment before this inspection. page 2 of 7
From this inspection we graded this service as: Quality of care and support Quality of staffing Quality of management and leadership 5 - Very Good not assessed 4 - Good What the service does well Throughout our inspection we were struck by the warmth and passion of the staff working within Alzheimer Scotland. They were driven to provide creative, flexible and person centred support. They took time to understand the person, what was important to them and how they could best be supported. This was reflected in the written information we looked at during our inspection. We saw how work was progressing towards developing more outcome-focused plans and assessments. These plans more closely reflect people's goals. People we spoke with told us they were very happy with the service with some sharing the difference their support had made. We saw a very good system was in place to record incidents and accidents. This included, a detailed account of the event and any lessons learned. This way of working helps to reduced the likelihood of future harm. The Care Inspectorate were notified of significant events. We reminded the provider to make sure this was done within 24 hours. Staff we spoke with had a very good understanding of their responsibilities in keeping people safe. This included, recognising potential harm and who should be notified of any concerns. Training in adult support and protection had been provided within the last year. Staff had received training appropriate to their work. This included, specialised training within the "Promoting Excellence in Dementia" framework. We thought the level of training was reflected in the way in which we observed staff working with people. We thought staff showed great skill and empathy in making sure everyone received the right support. At the time of our inspection a training needs analysis was taking place. This would identify any training needs for the year ahead. This was supported by a yearly appraisal process to help staff identify training goals and objectives. page 3 of 7
What the service could do better The service had continued to experience management changes over recent years. We were concerned about the potential impact this may have had on the overall quality of the service. Whilst we saw some areas for improvement we were reassured that staff had worked hard to reduce any impact on people they supported. We will continue to monitor how the provider progresses with the recruitment of a new service manager. We identified some improvements which could be made in people's personal plans. This included clearer review and recording of support plans and risk assessment. We discussed this with senior staff during our visits and highlighted these areas to them. We were pleased to see that a system to monitor six monthly reviews had been introduced. We will make sure this system is working well at our next inspection. We thought the registered manager could further develop the service improvement and development plan. An effective plan is one which includes the views of different stakeholders such as people using the service, staff and other professionals. It should be reviewed and updated regularly to make sure everyone is working towards shared goals and objectives. We recognised this was a time of change within the service and we heard from some staff about the impact of this. We thought greater involvement and clarity would support the change process. We were pleased to see that recent improvements had been made to staff support structures. This included systems to make sure staff received regular one to one supervision and opportunities to meet as a team. During feedback we suggested the provider should consider internal quality assurance monitoring to make sure areas for action were identified quickly. Although a system for observing how staff work was in place, we thought improvements could be made. The current system was not happening with any planned regularity and was centred on procedures. We thought this could be developed to be more outcome focused and reflective of support staff codes and standards. 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. page 4 of 7
Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 25 Nov 2016 Announced (short notice) Care and support 21 Dec 2015 Announced (short notice) Care and support 11 Dec 2014 Announced (short notice) Care and support 27 Feb 2014 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 28 Feb 2013 Unannounced Care and support Management and leadership 11 Aug 2010 Announced Care and support Management and leadership 18 Mar 2010 Announced Care and support 4 - Good Management and leadership page 5 of 7
Date Type Gradings 22 Dec 2008 Announced Care and support page 6 of 7
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 7 of 7