We carried out a review of the data available to us about Sefton Park on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Sefton Park, you can give feedback on this service.
We rated Sefton Park as outstanding because:
We do not currently rate independent standalone substance misuse services.
We found the following areas of good practice:
The owners and manager of the service were committed to providing high quality care and treatment to the clients. They offered unfunded admission to previous clients who had experienced a crisis in their recovery. They were knowledgeable, approachable and demonstrated care, compassion and empathy in their dealings with clients.
The provider had experienced staff that delivered care to the clients they worked with. The staff thoroughly assessed clients and completed risk assessments and holistic care plans that were tailored to the clients’ needs and treatment goals. Staff completed these plans in collaboration with the clients and their care managers. They demonstrated high levels of care and empathy towards the clients in the service.
Staff made clients at Sefton Park feel safe. They understood how to make safeguarding referrals if concerns arose. They followed the provider’s procedures when they did this. Clients felt that staff were approachable and felt able to raise complaints and make suggestions about the service. Staff safely managed clients’ medicine using robust policies and procedures.
There were positive and effective working relationships with the local GP, commissioners of the service and other local substance misuse treatment providers.
The provider had systems that supported service improvement and quality management. They completed audits to monitor the quality of work completed and had clinical governance meetings to discuss incidents and lessons learnt. Outside professionals provided further support in auditing and facilitating group and individual supervision to encourage reflective practice and individual development.
However, we also found the following issues that the service provider needs to improve:
Systems to manage staff mandatory training were not robust. New staff had not completed mandatory training in a timely manner and long-standing staff had not received regular updates in some training topics in the mandatory programme. Consequently, some staff training was out of date. The registered manager had recognised the need to update training. They had organised sessions to take place after the inspection and we saw documentation including dates that confirmed this. However, staff were skilled and knowledgeable about the service that they were delivering.
People spoken with told us they were very happy with the service provided by the staff at Sefton Park. One person told us, 'I have told them I owe them my life. They say it was down to me but I say it is them that gave me the tools and the support and without them I would not be here today'. Another person told us, 'I think they are very fair, they understand what we need and the pressures we are experiencing'.
We observed a very professional but supportive rapport between staff and people who used the service. People could talk with staff at any time.
We saw care plans were written by people who lived in the home. They discussed their identified needs, their goals and agreed how to achieve those goals.
Following the inspection on 08 March 2013 we saw people had clear risk assessments when they administered their own medication and all staff had attended training in medication management.
Staff confirmed they were given the opportunity to build on their skills and received appropriate support from the manager.
The provider had a quality assurance system in place that ensured people were safe and changes could be made to improve the service provided.
The people we spoke with who used the service all provided positive feedback regarding their experience of the service. Comments included 'it's a brilliant place, it saved my life'; 'you are treated fairly and with respect all the time' and 'it's the best thing I've done".
We viewed four care plans. The planning was centred on the individual and considered all aspects of their individual circumstances. The care plans were specific to the individual's needs and preferences. People advised that they were involved in discussions about their care and support. There were robust arrangements in place that demonstrated that consent had been provided in relation to the care received.
We found that there were procedures in place regarding medicines handling which included arrangements to ensure the safe administration and disposal of medicines. The provider was unable to demonstrate that staff members had received up-to-date medication administration training. If a person was self medicating we found that there were no risk assessments in place.
Staff members demonstrated a good knowledge of the people they supported. The staff told us that they felt supported to undertake their role and staffing levels were adequate.
We found that there was a system in place to deal with complaints, including providing people who used the service with information about that system.
person said, 'All the staff are very supportive you can go to them at any time'.
People said staff spent time with them and counselled them in a way that was respectful
and supportive. One person told us, 'Sefton Park is comfortable, welcoming and safe'.
People told us that nearly all staff were always polite and respectful to them. A number of people told us there was one member of staff who was not always polite or respectful.
People felt safe at Sefton Park and they were supported in their treatment and recovery by staff who understood how to keep them safe from the risks of abuse.
People were being supported in their treatment and recovery by staff with a good knowledge of their range of needs. The staff had done a lot of training to help them understand what care and support people needed for successful treatment for addictions.
People were asked their views of the care and support they received. This information was used as part of the process of monitoring and improving the quality of service and outcomes for people.