Reablement Service, Leigh, rated Outstanding by Care Quality Commission

Published: 6 October 2016 Page last updated: 12 May 2022

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found the quality of care provided by Reablement Service in Leigh, Lancashire to be outstanding following an inspection in May this year.

The Reablement Service, run by Wigan Council provides support including personal care, to a wide range of people in their homes. The service supports people who had just left hospital, or following significant changes to a persons' ability to cope independently at home. The service provides a stepping-stone to independence and supports people to regain lost skills, learn new ones, and generally adapt to the challenges that the independent living presented. Support is provided as part of a package of care designed to enable people to remain in their own homes. At the time of the inspection, Reablement Service provided care and support for 66 people

The service was rated Outstanding for being responsive and well-led and Good for being safe, effective and caring making them Outstanding overall.

Debbie Westhead, Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care, said:

“We found the care provided at Reablement Service, Leigh to be outstanding.

“What really struck us about this service was how person-centred it was. Staff didn’t have to complete visits to people’s homes within an allocated number of minutes which meant they could really take the time to remain with people as long as they were needed. This supports the feedback we received from people who told us about a kind and caring service.

“People told us that they were always treated with dignity and respect which is so important, particularly for a service aiming to improve people’s confidence to live independently.

“We were also impressed with the strong emphasis that was put on people pursuing full, active lives in their own communities.

“It is for these reasons and more that we have rated Reablement Service as Outstanding. This is a fantastic achievement for staff and a great resource for the people of Wigan, Ashton and Leigh to have on their doorstep.”

A full report of the inspection has been published on the CQC website.

The report highlights a number of areas of outstanding practice.

Whilst visiting people at home, inspectors observed interactions between staff and people being supported were very warm and friendly. Visits to people's homes were not time-limited and staff did not have to fit visits within an allocated number of minutes, which meant that they could remain with people as long as necessary on each individual visit, demonstrating their approach was very person-centred and not simply task orientated.

People who used the service and their relatives told inspectors that they always felt involved and were able to ask questions, say how they wanted to be supported, and felt valued as a result. The care records CQC saw showed people had signed agreeing to the support they would be receiving.

People who used the service and their relatives said they were treated with kindness and care and comments inspectors received about the service were very complimentary. They also told inspectors that the provider always promoted their independence and treated them with dignity and respect. People and their relatives were comprehensively involved in their care and contributed to determining the support and care they received.

CQC saw that people's care plans and needs were regularly reviewed which was completed with the involvement of people and their relatives. Inspectors found that any changes in the care and support provided to people was fully documented through the use of a 'functional improvement measure' (FIM) tool. This tool enabled referrals to be made to local services to enable people to achieve their aspirations, and was valued by occupational therapists.

Ends

For further information, please contact Kerri James, CQC Regional Engagement Communications Officer by email kerri.james@cqc.org.uk or by phone on 07464 92 9966.

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About the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.

We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.