DPCLINIC

This service is rated as Good overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced inspection at DPClinic on 25 July 2022 as part of our inspection programme. We gave two weeks notice of the inspection. This inspection was the first rated inspection following registration with the Care Quality Commission

The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We spoke to four patients who provided feedback about the service. In addition, we reviewed patient feedback collected by the service via an online platform. Patients reported that staff were supportive and open about discussing treatment options. Patients could always speak to a clinician when needed and the service was prompt in responding to queries.

Our key findings were:

• The provider understood the learning needs of staff and provided protected time and training to meet them. Administration staff had additional training such as in autism and learning disability to support their role.
• The service used information about care and treatment to make improvements. Staff completed audits such as record keeping and infection control audits and used the results effectively.
• Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
• Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness and understood the individual needs of patients. They actively involved patients in decisions and planning their care.
• Patients felt that the service was personalised and that their opinions about their care and treatment were listened to.
• The record keeping system allowed staff to flag risks so that staff could see key information quickly.
• The service had systems to safeguard children and vulnerable adults from abuse. All staff received up-to-date safeguarding and safety training appropriate to their role.
• Clear governance arrangements were in place. There were clear responsibilities, roles and systems of accountability to support good governance and management.
• The service had arrangements in place to to refer patients to other services when needed.

However:

• We found three of six staff records did not include an employment history or explanations of gaps in employment as part of checks to ascertain a person’s suitability for any given role.

Jemima Burnage

Interim Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals (mental health)