The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has upgraded the rating of the Reablement Provider Service in Leicester from good to outstanding following an inspection in December.
The Reablement Provider Service, run by Leicester City Council, is a domiciliary care agency providing short term reablement, rehabilitation and recovery, and is part of the local authority Home First model, which works with established partner organisations to help people remain independent in their own homes.
CQC carried out the inspection in line with its ‘right care, right culture, right support’ guidance, which assesses whether a service guarantees autistic people and people with a learning disability the respect, equality, dignity, choice, independence and access to local communities that most people take for granted.
CQC has rated the Reablement Provider Service as outstanding for being safe, effective, responsive and well-led, up from good. How caring the service is was re-rated as good.
Greg Rielly, CQC’s deputy director of adult social care for the East Midlands, said:
“When we inspected the Reablement Provider Service, we were delighted to find a service committed to supporting people through their recovery, rehabilitation and reablement journey to enable them to remain independent in their own homes.
“Staff were caring and respectful and their knowledge and understanding of the individuals in their care had a hugely positive impact on people’s progress. We saw leaders had an exceptional understanding of the diverse health and care needs of people and their local communities, so care was joined-up, flexible, and supported people’s choice and continuity.
“It was clear that people were fully involved in all decisions relating to their care, from the initial assessment all the way through to ongoing reviews of their progress. It was also great to see the service was exceptional at ensuring people could access the care, support and treatment they needed when they needed it. They also recognised and understood the potential barriers some people face in accessing services. As a result, we found staff worked collaboratively with key stakeholders to achieve effective care for people, with good quality of life outcomes.
“We found staff put people at the heart of risk assessments and identified goals to help people remain independent in their daily living activities, like preparing food and cooking or personal care, such as washing and dressing. Staff worked well with people to fully understand and manage risks holistically. They provided people with required equipment, such as walkers and handrails, to help reduce risk and support people in their recovery journey.
“Overall, staff and leaders should be incredibly proud of the ethos and culture they have created to ensure people get the very best care outcomes and certainly deserve the positive feedback we received from people, their relatives and external partners.”
Inspectors found:
- Staff went above and beyond to achieve good outcomes for people, by prioritising people’s safety and well-being by acting in a way that didn't delay them starting the reablement service.
- Leaders focused on continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation and local system. They encouraged creative ways of delivering equality of experience, outcome and quality of life for people.
- The service made sure people were supported by staff who spoke the same language as them and understood their cultural needs.
- The service made sure people’s care records contained information about people’s prescribed medicines and detailed the role and responsibility of staff in supporting them where required.
- Staff supported people to live healthier lives and where possible, reducing their future needs for care and support.
- Staff actively listened to concerns about safety and thoroughly investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were always learnt to continually identify and embed good practice across the service.
- Leaders prioritised staff wellbeing and recognised the positive outcomes to people when staff felt supported and valued.