Northumbria SARC, Rhona Cross House

Background

Northumbria Rhona Cross House Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) is run by Mountain Healthcare commissioned by NHS England and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria and covers all of Newcastle. Forensic Nurse Examiners (FNEs) and crisis workers based at the SARC also provide forensic examination and support to patients from Sunderland, Gateshead, Northumberland, Durham, South Tyneside and North Tyneside. The SARC service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week including public holidays, to people over the age of 18. However, at patient request and where appropriate, patients aged 16-18 can also be seen at the SARC.

As well as acute forensic examination the service provides advice to both the police and patients and support following recent and non-recent sexual assault. The SARC offers onward referrals to a number of services including Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs) not employed by Mountain Healthcare, sexual health services and counselling services.

Northumbria Rhona Cross House SARC is is easily accessible to wheelchair and pushchair users in a ground floor building. There is immediate pay and display parking outside the SARC as well as limited additional parking spaces provided by the SARC to the rear of the building. The local train station is a short walk away. There is one forensic examination room and a separate forensic changing area, forensic toilet and shower facility. There is a large and comfortable waiting room as well as storage facilities, a shower and changing area for staff and office and kitchen space.

The SARC provides a pleasant and clean environment for patients accessing services provided there.

We left comment cards at the SARC the week before our visit, and we received six completed feedback cards.

We examined policies and procedures at the SARC and various records about how the service is managed. We examined 12 sets of clinical records and spoke with six members of staff.

As a condition of registration Mountain Healthcare must have a person registered with the care quality commission as the registered manager. Registered managers have legal responsibilities for meeting the requirements of the health and social care act 2008 and associated regulations about how the services run.

Throughout this report we have used the term ‘patients’ to describe people who use the service to reflect our inspection of the clinical aspects of the SARC

Our key findings were:

• The service had systems to help them manage risk.
• The staff had suitable safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
• The service had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
• Staff knew how to deal with emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
• The clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
• Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
• The appointment/referral system met clients’ needs.
• The service had effective leadership and culture of continuous improvement.
• Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
• The service asked staff and clients for feedback about the services they provided.
• The service staff dealt with complaints positively and efficiently.
• The staff had suitable information governance arrangements.
• The service appeared clean and well maintained.
• The staff had infection control procedures which reflected published guidance.

There was one area where the provider should make improvements. They should:

• Ensure that clinical supervision is readily available to staff members both on-site and centrally from the provider.