The Care Quality Commission
  • Mental Health
  • Independent mental health service

Victoria Gardens

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Victoria Road, Huyton, Liverpool, Merseyside, L36 5SA (0151) 541 3610

Provided and run by:
Elysium Healthcare Limited

All Inspections

8&9 February 2022

During a routine inspection

Our rating of this service stayed the same. We rated it as good because:

  • The service provided safe care. The ward environments were safe and clean. The wards had enough nurses and doctors. Staff assessed and managed risk well. They minimised the use of restrictive practices, managed medicines safely and followed good practice with respect to safeguarding.
  • Staff developed holistic, recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment. They provided a range of treatments suitable to the needs of the patients cared for in a mental health rehabilitation ward and in line with national guidance about best practice. Staff engaged in clinical audit to evaluate the quality of care they provided.
  • The ward teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of patients on the wards. Managers ensured that these staff received most of their training, supervision and appraisal. The ward staff worked well together as a multidisciplinary team and with those outside the ward who would have a role in providing aftercare.
  • Staff understood and discharged their roles and responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
  • Staff treated patients with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, and understood the individual needs of patients. They actively involved patients and families and carers in care decisions.
  • Staff planned and managed discharge well and liaised well with services that would provide aftercare. As a result, discharge was rarely delayed for other than a clinical reason.
  • The long stay or rehabilitation mental health wards for working age adults worked to a recognised model of mental health rehabilitation. The acute ward had clear operational protocols that had been developed with the commissioning NHS trust. It was well led and the governance processes ensured that ward procedures ran smoothly.

5 November 2019

During a routine inspection

We rated Victoria Gardens, a long-stay rehabilitation service, as good because:

  • All wards were safe, clean, well equipped, well furnished, well maintained and fit for purpose. Staff made sure cleaning records were up-to-date and the premises were clean. Staff followed infection control policy, including hand-washing
  • Clinic rooms were fully equipped, with accessible resuscitation equipment and emergency drugs that staff checked regularly. The service had enough nursing and support staff to keep patients safe and meet their needs. Levels of sickness were low
  • Staff provided a range of care and treatment interventions suitable for the patient group and consistent with national guidance on best practice, following an established recovery model. This included access to psychological therapies, to support for self-care and the development of everyday living skills, and to meaningful occupation
  • Staff ensured that patients had good access to physical healthcare and supported patients to live healthier lives
  • The service used systems and processes to safely prescribe, administer, record and store medicines. Staff regularly reviewed the effects of medications on each patient’s physical health
  • Staff held regular multidisciplinary meetings to discuss patients and improve their care. Staff had completed and kept up-to-date with their mandatory training
  • Staff understood their roles and responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983 and the Mental Health Act Code of Practice and discharged these well. Managers made sure that staff could explain patients’ rights to them
  • Staff followed policy to keep patient information confidential. The design, layout, and furnishings of the ward/service supported patients’ treatment. Each patient had their own bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and could keep their personal belongings safe. There were quiet areas for privacy
  • Leaders had the skills, knowledge and experience to perform their roles, had a good understanding of the services they managed, and were visible in the service and approachable for patients and staff.

However:

  • Closed circuit television cameras were positioned outside some patient bedrooms and assisted bathrooms and could view into these if doors were left open. This could compromise patient privacy.
  • Staff did not always record that patients had been involved in their care.
  • A patient under the age of 18 was not receiving ongoing support at Victoria Gardens from a child and adolescent mental health service psychiatrist as recommended by the Mental Health Act Code of Practice.