The Care Quality Commission
  • Community
  • Community healthcare service

Archived: Provide Community Interest Company HQ

St. Peter's Hospital, Admin Block, 32a Spital Road, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6EG (01621) 727325

Provided and run by:
Provide Community Interest Company

Important: This service was previously managed by a different provider - see old profile

All Inspections

21–23 January 2014

During a routine inspection

Central Essex Community Services C.I.C. is a provider of integrated health and social care and supplies a broad range of community services across Essex, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, and the London boroughs of Waltham Forest and Redbridge.

The provider HQ is based at St Peter’s Hospital in Maldon, Essex. Whilst registered with the Care Quality Commission as a location, the majority of services that were reviewed at this inspection are carried out within community settings, such as community clinics, schools, nursing homes and primary care settings, as well as within peoples own homes. The services provided to people include: diabetes management, continence advice, speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, wound care; respiratory care, child health assessment, immunisation and end of life care.

In general, we found that Central Essex Community Services C.I.C. HQ provided safe care. Most areas had processes in place to recognise and investigate patient safety incidents. However, there was an underreporting of incidents and an absence of shared learning following review of reported incidents. There were inconsistencies in staff practice regarding the practical application of these systems and an absence of learning both within and across services and teams.

We found some examples of good leadership and most staff felt they were well supported by their managers. Many said they had good training and development opportunities.

The vast majority of people we spoke to were positive about their care but especially in regards to services provided to children and families. We found some good examples of innovative practice not least the care given to patients by the children's speech and language therapists. The service had won a national innovation award for contribution to their profession. 

In general we found that community services were safe, with pathways of care effectively used to meet the needs of patients, families and carers. The exception to this were end of life care services, where the planning and delivery of service provision  was not coordinated in the same way between inpatient and community teams delivering end of life care.

7 February 2013

During a routine inspection

People we spoke to were happy with the standard of care and support provided. They told us that they felt well informed about the care or treatment that they were receiving and staff listened to them and involved them in the management of their care. People said 'We feel very well informed and the nurse has helped us find out about other services we can use as well' and 'I understand what is going on and I see the diary and records that are in place. I have also been given a leaflet on how to contact them and how to raise a concern if I had one.'

We found that people who used the service had up to date care plans in place that outlined the care and management for staff. This helped to ensue that people received consistent care and that their needs were met. People who used the service also said 'I am very satisfied with the care I receive, I know who is coming to visit and on the whole I get consistent care' and 'The staff are very good, they are caring and helpful.'

We found that overall the staff were well trained and supported by management. The staff told us that the provider ensured that they stayed up to date with training and that they were competent to undertake their responsibilities. The provider had systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of services provided and from discussion with staff and looking at records we found that the quality of the service provided had a high profile within the organisation.