Short Term Assessment and Re-ablement Service

Updated 16 January 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This was an announced inspection and was conducted by two adult social care inspectors on the 03 January 2018. We announced our visit in line with our guidance to ensure there was someone in the office on the day of the inspection.

We requested and received a provider information return. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We used this information to help plan the inspection.

Before our inspection visit we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications the provider had made to us. Notifications tell us about any incidents or events that affect people who use the service. We also asked Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and Healthwatch Rochdale if they held any information about the service. They did not have any concerns.

We spoke with three people who used the service in their homes (with their permission), the registered manager and four care staff members.

During our inspection we observed the support provided by staff in their homes. We looked at the care and medicines administration records for five people who used the service. We also looked at the recruitment, training and supervision records for four members of staff, minutes of meetings and a variety of other records related to the management of the service.

Updated 16 January 2018

The Short Term Assessment and Reablement Service (STARS) provides short-term support of up to six weeks to help people recover or cope after a decline in health, injury or an illness (such as a hospital admission or becoming unwell in the community to prevent admission to hospital). The service encourages people to achieve maximum independence, health and well-being. Services include supporting people to manage their personal care (washing and dressing), other daily tasks

such as meal preparation and advice and referrals to other services as needed. The local authority is the provider and the service is situated in Rochdale Infirmary. At the time of the inspection 75 people were using the service.

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

The service was last inspected in July 2016, and rated Requires Improvement. There were four breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014. Some policies and procedures were out of date, there was no record of people giving their consent to care and treatment, support plans did not show how people had been consulted to develop their plans in an individual way and medicines administration was not always safe. The service were asked for and provided an action plan to make improvements. We saw that at this inspection the necessary improvements had been made.

The service used the local authority safeguarding procedures to report any safeguarding issues. Staff had been trained in safeguarding topics and were aware of their responsibilities to report any possible abuse.

The administration of medicines was safe. People were encouraged to manage their own medicines.

Staff were robustly recruited, received a suitable induction, had access to a lot of training and received support and supervision which helped them carry out their roles.

Staff were described as reliable and trustworthy. People felt safe with the staff who looked after them.

We observed staff had a professional and friendly attitude with people who used the service and we saw some good natured exchanges between them.

The office the service worked from was fit for purpose and provided staff with a place to meet.

People were supported to take a nutritious diet.

Staff understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff had been trained in the MCA and DoLS and could recognise what a deprivation of liberty was or how they must protect people’s rights.

People who used the service were consulted about their care and signed their agreement to the plans of care they helped develop.

People who used the service were supported to be independent. Plans of care were developed around gaining independence and we saw how people were supported to achieve their goals.

People had access to a complaints procedure if they wished to raise any concerns.

People who used the service and staff thought management was approachable and supportive.

Policies and procedures were reviewed and gave staff the information to equip them to work in a care service.

Management conducted audits and gained feedback from people who used the service and staff to improve the quality of service provision.