Archived: Arch Initiatives - Conway Street

'To begin with I had to use the service as part of my probation, but now I come here for me and I really want to be free of drugs and for the first time I feel I can do it. This place is brilliant the staff are great no one judges you and they really want you to succeed.'

'They have made a real difference in my life they have made me realise I deserve a different life and they are helping me to get it.'

An identified recovery worker system was in place that allowed people to build positive and long term relationships with staff this enabled them to offer personalised support when engaging with other agencies and professionals. Some comments made by people were:

'The staff are always at the end of a phone if you need to speak to them between appointments. If I ring up and say I'm in a bad place they always tell me to come in and if my recovery worker can't see me then another one will.'

We looked at three staff files that showed there was a robust and consistent approach to the recruitment and selection of employees. Records showed there were effective systems in place to monitor and audit the quality and safety of the service.

We looked at care records that showed an assessment was undertaken to determine whether a person would benefit from being treated and supported by the service. This information was then transferred into plans of support and treatment.

We spoke with two members of staff who told us they had received training in safeguarding and described how they would ensure the welfare of vulnerable adults and children was protected through the whistle blowing and safeguarding procedures.

The recruitment and selection processes did not protect people who used the service as they did not seek out information about candidates in a robust and consistent manner. Risk assessments had not been carried out where Disclosure and Barring Services(DBS) checks had identified prospective employees had criminal convictions.

People told us if they were not happy with the service they received they would discuss this with their key worker or a manager at the service. Complaints records showed the service responded in a timely manner to complainants and provided detailed responses to issues raised.