North STSS Alnwick is an Outstanding-rated domiciliary reablement service demonstrating exceptional leadership, deeply person-centred care and innovative partnership working that achieves measurable improvements in people's independence. Only a minor record-keeping gap around 'as required' medicines documentation was identified, with improvement already underway.
Concerns (1)
minorRecord keeping: “Records for 'as required' medicines had been identified as needing an update by the provider. The provider was working with a medicines specialist to improve in this area.”
Strengths
· Exceptionally personalised, person-centred reablement care with people supported to achieve independence goals
· Outstanding partnership working with local health, social and voluntary organisations including Northumbria Healthcare Trust Community Falls Strategy
· Proactive quality assurance using NICE standards aligned to an internal audit framework with performance exceeding expectations
· Innovative programmes including hospital-based reablement support, occupational therapy student placements, and the Home Safe Support Team (HSST)
· Strong positive staff culture with staff feeling valued, supported and proud of outcomes achieved for people
North STSS (Short Term Support Service) Alnwick achieved an Outstanding overall rating at its February–March 2018 inspection, improving from Good in 2015, with particular excellence in responsive and well-led domains. The service demonstrated exceptional person-centred care, robust governance, strong multi-agency collaboration, and staff who consistently went above and beyond to meet people's needs.
Strengths
· Staff went above and beyond during severe weather, walking to visits to ensure people received care without missing a single visit
· Employed occupational therapists and physiotherapists working alongside care staff to support people using research-based assessment tools (COPM, Tinetti)
· Exceptionally person-centred approach with individual goals documented and weekly progress feedback forms completed
· Strong governance framework including performance dashboards, quarterly audits, satisfaction surveys scoring over 90%, and CQC-aligned action plans
· Open door management culture with outstanding staff support including mobile phone hotspot mapping for rural lone workers
Quality-Statement breakdown (21)
safe: Staffing levels appropriate; flexible rostering to meet needsGood
safe: Accidents and incidents recorded, investigated, lessons learned tracking sheet in placeGood
safe: Safeguarding responsibilities understood; staff trained in protection of vulnerable adultsGood
safe: Medicines management: policy, training, annual competency checks and weekly reviews in placeGood
safe: Infection control: annual and quarterly audits carried outGood
effective: Staff induction, mandatory training up to date, monitored regularlyGood
effective: Supervisions at least every four months; annual appraisal with six-month review and workplace observationGood
North Locality Homecare (Alnwick), a short-term reablement domiciliary service in north Northumberland, was rated Good across all five key questions at its announced inspection on 19 and 23 November 2015. The service demonstrated strong person-centred practice, rapid responsiveness to referrals, robust medicines and quality monitoring, and significantly above-average outcomes for keeping people at home following hospital discharge.
Strengths
· People consistently reported feeling safe with care staff, describing them as 'just like family'
· No missed appointments reported; electronic call monitoring system used to track staff whereabouts and flag potentially missed calls
· Staff received regular supervision, appraisals and training including a newly introduced electronic training management system
· Service was highly responsive, able to provide support within hours of referral and attending hospital discharge meetings
· Outstanding outcome benchmarks: 90.5% of people still at home 91 days after discharge vs 82.1% nationally
Quality-Statement breakdown (12)
safe: Safeguarding and risk managementGood
safe: Staffing and recruitmentGood
safe: Medicines managementGood
effective: Staff training and developmentGood
effective: Supervision and appraisalGood
effective: Consent and Mental Capacity ActGood
caring: Person-centred and dignified careGood
caring: Support for independence and wellbeingGood
effective: Comprehensive baseline assessment on referral; urgent referrals responded to within two hours