Interlink - Hazeldene Support Service Without Care at Home Blair Road Kilwinning KA13 7QH Inspected by: Kirsty Porter Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 15 September 2011
Contents Page No Summary 3 1 About the service we inspected 5 2 How we inspected this service 6 3 The inspection 10 4 Other information 18 5 Summary of grades 19 6 Inspection and grading history 19 Service provided by: North Ayrshire Council Service provider number: SP2003003327 Care service number: CS2005107343 Contact details for the inspector who inspected this service: Kirsty Porter Telephone 01294 323920 Email enquiries@scswis.com Interlink - Hazeldene, page 2 of 20
Summary This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection. Grades for this care service may change after this inspection following other regulatory activity. For example, if we have to take enforcement action to make the service improve, or if we investigate and agree with a complaint someone makes about the service. We gave the service these grades Quality of Care and Support 5 Very Good Quality of Environment N/A Quality of Staffing 4 Good Quality of Management and Leadership N/A What the service does well The service had continued to support people who attended Hazeldene to take an active part in how the service is delivered. The service provides a varied programme using an individual and group approach to adults with learning disabilities who have wide ranging needs. Users of the service were supported and encouraged to take part in these activities. What the service could do better The provider should continue to build upon existing good practice. The provider should establish a regular programme of one to one staff supervision sessions. The recording of service user meetings should be improved to evidence that they are able to influence how the service is run. What the service has done since the last inspection The service had continued to place importance on involving service users in evaluating the quality of the service provided. There had been a recent change of manager and some rotation of the staff group with a nearby sister service also operated by the provider. It is our understanding that Interlink - Hazeldene, page 3 of 20
the transferred members of staff are known to the service users through well established close links between the two services. Conclusion The service continues to provide good quality support, social interaction and stimulation that impacts positively on service users. Service users and their carers have indicated in our questionnaires and those given out by the service that they are happy with the quality of the service provided. The provider should seek ways to continue to build upon the good practice in place at Hazeldene and address the areas for development highlighted at this inspection. Who did this inspection Kirsty Porter Interlink - Hazeldene, page 4 of 20
1 About the service we inspected Interlink - Hazeldene is a Support Service (Day Care) for Adults with both learning and physical disabilities. The service is situated in the town of Kilwinning and has close links with another local Interlink service. Their are a maximum of 60 service user places available Monday to Friday. The Aims of the service are to promote social inclusion and to support service users to use resources both inside and outside the building. These include social, recreational and educational opportunities. Based on the findings of this inspection this service has been awarded the following grades: Quality of Care and Support - Grade 5 - Very Good Quality of Environment - N/A Quality of Staffing - Grade 4 - Good Quality of Management and Leadership - N/A This report and grades represent our assessment of the quality of the areas of performance which were examined during this inspection. Grades for this care service may change following other regulatory activity. You can find the most up-to-date grades for this service by visiting our website www.scswis.com or by calling us on 0845 600 9527 or visiting one of our offices. Interlink - Hazeldene, page 5 of 20
2 How we inspected this service The level of inspection we carried out In this service we carried out a low intensity inspection. We carry out these inspections when we are satisfied that services are working hard to provide consistently high standards of care. What we did during the inspection We wrote this report after an unannounced inspection visit on 15 September 2011. The inspection was carried out by K Porter between the hours of 10.30 am - 5pm During the inspection evidence was gathered from a number of sources including: Care files Reviews Complaints comments systems Care Inspectorate Quality Questionnaires The services own Quality Survey The services self assessment Minutes of staff meetings Staff records Registration certificate and staffing schedule Accident records Observation of how staff worked Observation of the environment Discussion with service users, staff and managers Grading the service against quality themes and statements We inspect and grade elements of care that we call 'quality themes'. For example, one of the quality themes we might look at is 'Quality of care and support'. Under each quality theme are 'quality statements' which describe what a service should be doing well for that theme. We grade how the service performs against the quality themes and statements. Details of what we found are in Section 3: The inspection Inspection Focus Areas (IFAs) In any year we may decide on specific aspects of care to focus on during our inspections. These are extra checks we make on top of all the normal ones we make during inspection. We do this to gather information about the quality of these aspects Interlink - Hazeldene, page 6 of 20
of care on a national basis. Where we have examined an inspection focus area we will clearly identify it under the relevant quality statement. Fire safety issues We do not regulate fire safety. Local fire and rescue services are responsible for checking services. However, where significant fire safety issues become apparent, we will alert the relevant fire and rescue services so they may consider what action to take. You can find out more about care services' responsibilities for fire safety at www.firelawscotland.org Interlink - Hazeldene, page 7 of 20
The annual return Every year all care services must complete an 'annual return' form to make sure the information we hold is up to date. We also use annual returns to decide how we will inspect the service. Annual Return Received: Yes - Electronic Comments on Self Assessment Every year all care services must complete a 'self assessment' form telling us how their service is performing. We check to make sure this assessment is accurate. We received a fully completed self assessment document from the service provider. We were satisfied with the way the service provider had completed this and with the relevant information they had given us for each of the headings that we grade them under. Taking the views of people using the care service into account We received one questionnaire from a service user. This person agreed that overall, they were happy with the quality of care at Hazeldene. They commented: "I would like to see managers more" New staff should be more aware of service users needs before working a shift" We spoke to 4 service users on the day of the inspection. They indicated that they liked attending Hazeldene. They told us about their favourite activities which included swimming, bowling, art, going to college and out to the cafe. One person told us they were planning a trip on the bus to visit someone. One of the service users told us who their key worker was, that the staff were OK and that they had lots of friends at Hazeldene. Taking carers' views into account Eight carers completed our questionnaires, five strongly agreed and three agreed that overall, they were happy with the quality of care at Hazeledene. One relative commented that they believed that their family member was happy at Hazeldene. They felt that the centre staff and management were approachable and tried to resolve any questions or queries. They felt that "communication is possibly Interlink - Hazeldene, page 8 of 20
lacking between staff" when centre members change room bases relevant information does not seem always to be passed on. Another relative indicate that they were "very happy with the service provided" and that all needs were met. Interlink - Hazeldene, page 9 of 20
3 The inspection We looked at how the service performs against the following quality themes and statements. Here are the details of what we found. Quality Theme 1: Quality of Care and Support Overall grade awarded for this theme: 5 - Very Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of the care and support provided by the service. Service strengths At the last inspection on 22 November 2010 the grade awarded was 5 - Very Good. This grade is maintained. The care service had continued to involve the people who use the service in assessing and improving the quality of their care and support in the following ways: Involvement in support plan Annual Questionnaire Pictorial complaints procedure Formal review process Participation strategy Newsletter - "Hazeldene Herald" TV monitor displayed in entrance area displayed key events Advocacy input Information brochure The service manager told us that they had used a "power point" presentation during some formal reviews. This was reported to be useful as it encouraged service user participation in their review. The manager plans to extend the use this technology. The service had also organised events including a coffee morning and open day and evaluated the success of these events.this allowed service user and their carers to comment on the quality of the service. Some people had daily diaries that assisted communication between the centre and home. The service had also been involved in training programmes to improve peoples communication and literacy skills. Interlink - Hazeldene, page 10 of 20
Areas for improvement We were told that meetings with service users had taken place however, no minute of these was made. The service should follow an agenda that covers all aspects of the service provided and record a minute of the meeting in order to evidence that service user views are taken into account and influence how the service is run. We are also aware that the service plans to consult with service users about the range of activities available. The service manager planned to resume Service User Forum Meeting meetings. The service manager explained that they were in the process of installing computer equipment to assist service users to develop their IT skills. The service should consider involving an independent person to assist with gathering the views of service users. Service users and their carers could also be involved in the self assessment/grading exercise that we ask them to do. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 3 We ensure that service user's health and wellbeing needs are met. Service strengths Inspection report continued We found that service users had a key worker. This is a staff member who takes a particular interest in the persons care and support. We found support plans were person centred and contained appropriate information to direct the staff about peoples support needs and how they liked them to be met. Individual risk assessments had also been completed. The support plans gave a very good sense of the individual. We could see that the service were supported to pursue hobbies and interests. Some of the service users told us about their achievements. We found that service users could attend activities at other resources operated by the provider in the local area. Service users had access to a very good range of activities and outings. These included physical activities such as dancing, swimming, walking, bowling and a gardening project. Service users were also involved in other initiatives such as the "KA Activator bus" and "B Active" in the local community to promote their health and well being. The activity programme also included music, cooking, arts and crafts, film club, story telling/drama, board games, beauty therapy and a jewellery group. Staff had worked with NHS representatives to promote healthy eating. The service Interlink - Hazeldene, page 11 of 20
had also achieved a "Healthy Eating Award" for the meals provided in the centre. Two members of staff had attended training to present a "say no to Abuse" DVD to service users and seven of the staff were trained to support service users in travelling independently. The support plans showed that there were links with other agencies and professionals who were involved in service users overall care arrangements. The services own analysis of their quality questionnaires showed that 91% of carers strongly greed or agreed that the centre provided a positive experience for the person they cared for. Service users indicated that they like the staff, their friends and the activities at the centre. Areas for improvement The service had made progress with a previously identified area of improvement to establish an IT training facility. Equipment was about to be installed in a designated area. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Inspection report continued Interlink - Hazeldene, page 12 of 20
Quality Theme 2: Quality of Environment - NOT ASSESSED Interlink - Hazeldene, page 13 of 20
Quality Theme 3: Quality of Staffing Grade awarded for this theme: 4 - Good Statement 1 We ensure that service users and carers participate in assessing and improving the quality of staffing in the service. Service strengths This statement was last looked at on 27.10.09. The grade awarded was 3 - Adequate. Improvements had been made and the grade awarded is 5 - Very Good. The evidence stated in Quality theme 1 Statement 1 is also relevant for this Quality Statement. Service users and relatives were able to express their views about the quality of staffing in questionnaires and at meetings. The services own questionnaires showed that service users thought that staff treated them with respect and dignity, were helpful and caring, made them feel safe and secure, listened and took account of their views. Service users were informed about staffing issues in the Newsletter. The self assessment highlighted that the recruitment process for new staff included a visit to the centre. Areas for improvement We thought that the provider should explore ways to continue to develop how service users could be further involved in staff recruitment, training and development processes. Grade awarded for this statement: 5 - Very Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 0 Statement 3 We have a professional, trained and motivated workforce which operates to National Care Standards, legislation and best practice. Service strengths The service Quality survey showed all carers who responded were confident that the staff were competent in caring for the needs of service users at Hazeldene. All Interlink - Hazeldene, page 14 of 20
respondents, in our questionnaires, indicated that they thought the staff had the skills to support service users. Weekly staff meetings took place. This allowed the staff to discuss any issues that they had with their key clients. The manager told us that a "mapping exercise" to gather information on the knowledge and skills of the staff had been completed. Staff had also had a performance review. This took account of training needs which were passed to the providers Learning and Development Department to arrange. We looked at training records and spoke to some of the staff. We found that almost all of the staff had achieved a minimum of a SVQ II qualification and attended training in Heart Start and First Aid. There was evidence of staff training in other areas such as moving and handling, dementia, CALM, PEG feeding. As mentioned previously some staff had attended training in healthy eating, "Dance Ability", independent travel and on presenting a "Say no to Abuse DVD" to service users. Staff had attended Adult Support and Protection training and another training day had been arranged. The staff we spoke to confirmed that they knew about the Scottish Social Services Code of Conduct and how to report concerns or poor practice. We heard that the manager was approachable. The services self assessment identified that " more staff will be supported and encouraged via their PDR to become person centred facilitators". Areas for improvement We found that regular one to one supervision session for the staff had not been established. The manager had started to address this matter. See recommendation 1. The service plans to make more use of electronic learning methods in the future. There had been some changes to the staff team. The manager and 5 staff had swapped between Fergushill and Hazeldene. This can sometimes have a negative effect on the continuity for service users. However we were assured that this had been a positive change and had improved staff enthusiasm and motivation. The manager told us that this was because of the history of close working between the two services. Grade awarded for this statement: 4 - Good Number of requirements: 0 Number of recommendations: 1 Inspection report continued Interlink - Hazeldene, page 15 of 20
Recommendations Inspection report continued 1. The service provider should ensure that the system for regular staff supervision is implemented in full. National Care Standards, Support Services, Standard 2: Management and Staffing Arrangements. Interlink - Hazeldene, page 16 of 20
Quality Theme 4: Quality of Management and Leadership - NOT ASSESSED Interlink - Hazeldene, page 17 of 20
4 Other information Complaints No complaints have been upheld, or partially upheld, since the last inspection. Enforcements We have taken no enforcement action against this care service since the last inspection. Additional Information Action Plan Failure to submit an appropriate action plan within the required timescale, including any agreed extension, where requirements and recommendations have been made, will result in SCSWIS re-grading the Quality Statement within the Management and Leadership Theme as unsatisfactory (1). This will result in the Quality Theme for Management and Leadership being re-graded as Unsatisfactory (1). Interlink - Hazeldene, page 18 of 20
5 Summary of grades Quality of Care and Support - 5 - Very Good Statement 1 Statement 3 5 - Very Good 5 - Very Good Quality of Environment - Not Assessed Quality of Staffing - 4 - Good Statement 1 Statement 3 5 - Very Good 4 - Good Quality of Management and Leadership - Not Assessed 6 Inspection and grading history Date Type Gradings 22 Nov 2010 Announced Care and support 5 - Very Good Environment Not Assessed Staffing Not Assessed Management and Leadership Not Assessed 27 Oct 2009 Announced Care and support 3 - Adequate Environment 3 - Adequate Staffing 3 - Adequate Management and Leadership 3 - Adequate 30 Sep 2008 Announced Care and support 3 - Adequate Environment 3 - Adequate Staffing 3 - Adequate Management and Leadership 3 - Adequate All inspections and grades before 1 April 2011 are those reported by the former regulator of care services, the Care Commission. Interlink - Hazeldene, page 19 of 20
To find out more about our inspections and inspection reports Read our leaflet 'How we inspect'. You can download it from our website or ask us to send you a copy by telephoning us on 0845 600 9527. This inspection report is published by SCSWIS. You can get more copies of this report and others by downloading it from our website: www.scswis.com or by telephoning 0845 600 9527. Translations and alternative formats This inspection report is available in other languages and formats on request. Telephone: 0845 600 9527 Email: enquiries@scswis.com Web: www.scswis.com Interlink - Hazeldene, page 20 of 20