Updated 20 May 2024
We carried out this announced inspection on 7 March 2024 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. We planned the inspection to check whether the registered provider was meeting the legal requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. The inspection was undertaken by 2 CQC inspectors.
To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:
• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?
These questions form the framework for the areas we look at during the inspection.
Background
Topaz Centre Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) is located in Nottingham and provides services to adults aged 18 and over. Children aged 16 or 17 may be seen at the centre if appropriate. The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provides forensic medical examinations, advice to police and patients, support following sexual abuse, and onward referrals to independent sexual violence advisors (ISVA).
The SARC is commissioned by NHS England and provided by Mountain Healthcare Limited. As a condition of registration, the provider must have a person registered with the Care Quality Commission as the Registered Manager. Registered Managers have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations. At the time of our inspection, the service had a registered manager in post who oversaw the service as well as a newly appointed manager who was applying for CQC registration.
The SARC is based in new purpose-built accommodation owned by Nottinghamshire Police. The accommodation is secure and discrete and has a range of facilities including two forensic suites with adjoining waiting areas and shower rooms, video assisted interview rooms, a laundry room, family rooms and secure gardens.
At the time of our inspection, the local team was made up of a service manager, two full-time forensic nurse examiners and three part-time administrator/crisis workers (1 whole time equivalent). The team was supported by an associate head of healthcare and a regional contract director.
The registered manager is a member of the Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine (FFLM).
Before the inspection, we spoke to the commissioner of the service and looked at a range of policies, procedures and other records to learn about the service. During the inspection, we undertook a tour of the environment, spoke with 5 staff members, and reviewed care records for 6 patients who had attended the SARC in the previous 12 months.
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 environment appeared clean and well maintained.
- The service had robust systems to help them manage risks presented to the service.
- The provider had clear safeguarding processes and staff knew their responsibilities for safeguarding adults and children.
- Staff knew how to deal with medical emergencies. Appropriate medicines and life-saving equipment were available.
- Clinical staff provided patients’ care and treatment in line with current guidelines.
- The service had thorough staff recruitment procedures.
- Staff treated patients with dignity and respect and took care to protect their privacy and personal information.
- The referral and appointment system met patients’ needs.
- Staff dealt with complaints efficiently.
- Staff felt involved and supported and worked well as a team.
- The service asked staff and patients for feedback about the services they provided.
- The service had good information governance arrangements.
The service had effective leadership and a culture of continuous improvement.