The Care Quality Commission
  • Residential substance misuse service

Archived: Sheffield Alcohol Advisory Service - 9 Priory Road

Nether Edge, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S7 1LW (0114) 281 3183

Provided and run by:
Sheffield Alcohol Support Service Limited

All Inspections

12th October 2015

During a routine inspection

We do not rate substance misuse services.

We found the following issues that the provider needs to

improve:

• Staff did not identify or manage risk effectively. Staff did not record the risks in sufficient detail or review clients’ risk assessments regularly. Clients did not have a risk management plan. This meant staff relied on verbal information from discussions with client and information recorded in the handover diary.

• Four out of the five care plans we looked at identified areas where changes could aid a person’s recovery.  However, it was unclear what the actual goals were and how they could be achieved. This meant there was no clear indication that the client was involved in constructing their care plan or agreed with it. Clients could have a copy of their care plan if they requested it.

• The clients’ induction pack provided clear information on confidentiality and sharing of information. However, staff did not ask clients for consent to share information with the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS).

• While there was clear learning from serious incidents, staff did not to follow the governance structure for reporting all incidents. Staff dealt with some incidents informally and did not record them according to policy. This meant they could not identify trends.

• Staff did not document informal complaints raised during the daily ‘feelings’ meeting or how these complaints were resolved.

However we also found the following areas of good practice:

• The environment was homely and welcoming, with supportive and empathic staff.

• Clients were involved in decisions about their care and the service. They regulated their own code of conduct and agreed house rules with other clients.

• Staff had regular supervision and ongoing appraisals of their work performance from their manager, giving them the support and professional development needed to carry out their duties.

• Clients received care and treatment underpinned by best practice, and had access to psychosocial therapies, group work sessions and individual one to one sessions with a counsellor.

• Discharge planning included an aftercare package to support clients for up to five years following rehabilitation.

23 September 2013

During a routine inspection

We visited the service on 23 September 2013 as part of our scheduled inspection programme.

On the day of the inspection we spoke with three people who used the service, the registered manager and one member of staff.

All three people told us they were, "Very pleased" with the service. They told us that staff were, "Friendly and caring." One person said, "I only have positive things to say about this service." Another person said, "I get all the support and help I need here."

We found that people were asked for their consent to care and treatment and the staff acted in accordance with their wishes.

Each person staying at the service had a support plan. We found that the information in these was sufficient and up to date. This meant that the delivery of care to people was safe, effective and appropriate.

We found appropriate arrangements were in place in relation to people obtaining their medicines.

Staff that we spoke with said they were very well supported by the registered manager to carry out their role.

We saw that the service had provided people with information about how to complain. People who we spoke with told us that they regularly attended the resident's meeting where they could raise any concerns they may have.

8 May 2012

During a routine inspection

Five people were living at the home at the time of this inspection. We spoke to all five people individually. We also spoke to one person who had recently left the home and was visiting people in the home and collecting their post. Everyone spoke very highly about the service and the staff working there. People told us they felt very positive about their future and told us about the improvements made to their mental and physical health since being admitted into the home. People said, "This place has made me realise that there's more to life than just drinking. I feel very confident about my future for the first time in my life and that's down to the staff here." "Being here has saved my life, I was killing myself with drink but now I know I won't go back to that again." "Coming here has been a complete success and kept me alive." And "The atmosphere here is not over-bearing but very encouraging."