• Community
  • Community substance misuse service

County Durham Integrated Drug and Alcohol Service

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Saddler House, Saddler Street, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 7BH

Provided and run by:
Spectrum Community Health C.I.C.

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about County Durham Integrated Drug and Alcohol Service on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about County Durham Integrated Drug and Alcohol Service, you can give feedback on this service.

15 - 17 February 2022

During a routine inspection

We rated this location as good because:

  • Feedback from people who use the service and those who were close to them was continually positive about the way staff treated them. Staff treated clients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and understood the individual needs of clients. They actively involved clients and families and carers in care decisions. Feedback from people who use the service and those close to them was extremely positive. People thought that staff went the extra mile and their care and support exceeded their expectations.

  • The service provided safe care. Clinical premises where clients were seen were safe and clean. The number of clients on the caseload of the teams, and of individual members of staff, was not too high to prevent staff from giving each client the time they needed. Staff assessed and managed risk well and ensured that clients who required urgent care were seen promptly.

  • The service provided a range of treatments that were informed by best-practice guidance and suitable to the needs of the clients. Staff engaged in clinical audit to evaluate the quality of care they provided. Staff within the service were proactive in recognising and addressing issues facing clients within the community.

  • The teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of the clients. Managers ensured that these staff received training, supervision and appraisal. Staff worked well together as a multidisciplinary team and with relevant services outside the organisation.

  • The service was working with multiple external agencies to provide training and resources to better understand their clients and to keep them safe. The service had recently invested in a rapid Hepatitis C testing machine to enable staff to obtain fast results and refer clients for treatment the same day.

  • The service was easy to access. Staff assessed and treated clients who required urgent care promptly and those who did not require urgent care did not wait too long to start treatment. The criteria for referral to the service did not exclude people who would have benefitted from care.

  • There was a strong culture of openness, caring, transparency and an environment in which learning, improvement and innovation was promoted and used to adapt the service. Managers encouraged staff to raise any concerns and there was a freedom to speak up guardian within the service.

  • All staff were positive and proud to work for the service. They spoke highly of the management and felt supported in their roles. There was strong collaboration, team-working and support across all functions and a common focus on improving the quality and sustainability of care and people’s experiences.

  • The service was well led, and the governance processes ensured that procedures relating to the work of the service ran smoothly.