Fife Social Work Service - Adult Services Resources

St. Clair Resource Centre is a Fife Council purpose-built Care Service for a maximum of 100 adults with learning disabilities and has been operating since 1982. Located in a residential part of Kirkcaldy, with easy access to shops and bus services₁ it operates from Monday to Friday between 09.00 hours and 15.30 hours; when social events are arranged these hours are extended. There is adequate parking for mini-buses and cars and varied landscaped areas around the building. A small sheltered, themed garden has been constructed with many Centre members contributing to its planning and development. The Centre has level access into and within the building and all areas to which Centre members and visitors have access are on ground floor level. The Manager is responsible for all day to day operational matters and staff supervision; he and many of the staff have worked in this Centre for a number of years.

The Centre's published statement clearly encompasses sound principles of care, recognising and valuing the individuality of each Centre member and "that they have the right to respect and dignity to make choices in their own lives and participate fully in society as equal partners...." These principles were evidenced throughout this inspection.

This Report has been compiled on the following basis:-

The Inspection took regard of The Regulation of Care Act (Scotland) 2001, Statutory Instrument 2002 114 and account of the National Care Standards namely:-

This report is based on:

1. the self evaluation documents and pre-inspection information completed by the manager prior to the inspection
2. the core standards for the 200415 inspection year for support services
3. the examination of Records, policies and procedures
4. an inspection visit by 2 Care Commission Officers over one day
5. discussions with the manager, service users and staff and
6. observation of practice.

No requirements made at last inspection

The Self Evaluation document appeared to have been well considered and completed in full by the Manager

Several Centre members were interviewed, all expressed that they were all very satisfied with the many services at St Clair Centre, the staff, the external events and activities provided and two commented on the fact that they" had never tried painting until I came here".

Another comment made, was "I love arts and crafts here".

Additionally, Centre members confirmed that they were satisfied with the personal care provided, the food was to their liking and the staff were kind and responsive to their requests for assistance.

One Centre member was very excited about the possibility of participating in the Paraolympics.

National Care Standards

When you first start to use the support service, you are welcomed and encouraged by staff who are expecting you and have made arrangements to introduce you to the support service.

Strengths

All new centre members have been referred by a Social Worker, who would have completed a full assessment of needs. Centre users will generally attend the centre for a visit with parents or carers prior to accepting a place. Trial periods are also encouraged.

Prior to commencing at the centre, a letter is sent to centre users confirming the placement and giving information about travel arrangements, lunch arrangements, medication and an initial programme of activities. The identified Key Worker is informed of the start date and a memo is sent to other staff in the centre informing them of a new member's start date.

On commencement, a centre member and their key worker will discuss interests, needs and preferences and this is the basis of the care plan.

Centre users who change their mind about attending the centre or any activities are encouraged to express their thoughts, this is done with the support of the centre team, Social Worker and parent or representative.

Areas for development:

The centre manager and his team are currently working on a web site, which is near to completion. The web site was seen by the Care Commission Officer, who felt that it would greatly enhance communication and sharing of information to potential and attending centre users when completed.

The manager has stated on the self evaluation return that he is looking to develop a centre member's handbook, which would include pictorial illustrations.

You can make choices in all areas of your personal and social life.

Strengths

The centre staff have appropriate training to ensure that they are skilled in assisting centre members to make choices about activities and other objectives. Fife Communication offer staff specific training with regard to alternative communication, such as the use of symbols and the board maker.

Key workers have key group time each morning where each key worker spends time with their group of centre members to discuss current news and what is planned to the day and coming week. Key workers discuss the choice of activities with individual centre users and change programmes appropriately. This is achieved using a variety of communication methods in order to assist centre users with their understanding of the programme and any changes. In addition, centre users are able to have trail tasters of various activities.

Centre users are able to access local community leisure and activity centres, this is done through assessment of individual capabilities and a risk assessment framework.

Centre users have access to one-to-one sessions with their key workers, Social workers, and other appropriate services such as psychologists and community psychiatric nurses. Centre staff will provide information with regard to telephone numbers, leaflets to parents/representatives with regard to funding advice such as disabled living funding.

There is a Cafeteria Quality Circle who meet three monthly to discuss standards within the service. The quality circle is made up of centre staff, centre users and parents. There is a centre committee made up from centre members who control the amenity fund expenditure with regard to the purchase of centre equipment, garden equipment etc. Centre users from this committee also sit on interview panels as part of the centre recruitment process.

Areas for development:

There is currently a Fife Council project working towards setting up an independent citizen advocacy service. The review 0 services for leaming disabilities is also looking at advocacy services as well as developing other services for people with learning disabilities.

You keep your rights as an individual.

Strengths

In those centre user care plans read by the Care Commission Office, the named individual centre users preferred to be known as was recorded on the information sheet. Throughout the period of the inspection the Care Commission Officer observed many examples of staff treating centre users in a polite and respectful manner. Centre users were seen to have any requests for assistance dealt with very quickly by centre staff.

All records held for centre users are held in a locked filing cabinet and centre users are given a leaflet 'Your Rights To See Your Social Work File'. This leaflet includes information with regard to what you can and cannot see who can access your file and who can amend it. All centre users and parents or representatives sign an 'Access to personal file' form agreeing they are aware of their rights as described in the leaflet.

All centre users are given a copy of the complaints procedure, which includes the Care Commission contact details.

Those centre users spoken to by the Care Commission Officer showed an awareness of their rights. Throughout the period of the inspection the Care Commission Officer observed many examples of staff supporting centre users to exercise their rights.

Areas for development:

The leaflet 'Your Rights To See Your Social work File' and the complaints procedure would be better understood by centre users if they were produced using pictorial, symbolised illustrations. The manager confirmed that this would be an on going piece of work in the centre. A recommendation (1) is made.

You have a right to your privacy when using the support service, and to make choices about how much personal information you want to share and to make choices about how you spend your time.

Strengths

The centre has a care suite with showers and toilets. All have appropriate locks and screens to ensure privacy. Centre users rights to privacy and dignity are taken into account when assisting with personal tasks, for example one centre user has continuity of staff assisting her with personal tasks. Within the care suite there is a separate room where centre users can see visitors and professional visitors in private.

Values and ethics are included in staff training achievements and there were many examples of staff being sensitive to service user's rights to privacy and dignity. No uniforms are worn by staff in the centre and the new buses used by the centre are free of any type of logo.

There are dedicated inclusion workers at the centre to provide support for community activities. There is a great deal of support for centre users to join local community group activities, such as a walking club and bowling. Centre Users art work was displayed at an art exhibition held at the Adam Smith Theatre. The art work was displayed in a way that did not advertise the support service or singled centre users out.

On talking to centre users on the day of inspections, there was a great feeling of pride in the art work they had produced. The centre staff are to be commended for the time and effort given to support and encourage centre users express themselves through their art work and have the opportunity to have their work displayed in a local art exhibition.

Areas for development:

Although staff work hard to provide a varied programme of activities, the allocated staff hours allow little flexibility to cover such events as sickness, annual leave and training. This results in the need to cancel planned activities at times and on the day of the inspection one activity had been cancelled due to staff shortages. Current staffing levels also require that centre users have to attend some activities in a group (such as swimming) rather than individually. A recommendation (2) is made.

Training is ongoing with regard to core training. Given that centre staff run the activities it would be advantageous to centre users if staff were able to access more diverse training related in particular to the activities they organise and activities they would like to develop. A recommendation (3) is made.

You are fully involved in planning and discussing the change.

Strengths

Centre users are very much involved in discussing and planning to leave the support service. Any risks involved in leaving the service are risk assessed with any identified risks discussed with the centre user, their parents and/or other representatives. Social workers would normally assist centre users with the transition of leaving the support service and moving on to a new service. This would include arranging visits, introducing to new staff and gradually reducing time spent at the centre.

For young people leaving school and becoming members of the centre the school staff and centre staff would work together to ensure the transition was gradual and under constant review with the young person and their parents.

People who attend collage or work placement have their place held at the centre until they decide they are happy in their work or education placement. People who retire do so after discussion over a period of time and gradual reduction of days at the centre.

A recommendation is a statement setting out proposed actions to be taken by the service provider aimed at improving the quallty of service (based on good practice and pro fessional ludgement) but which would not be sublect to enforcement action if not actioned.

It is recommended that the complaints procedure and leaflet about 'Your Rights To See Your Social Work File' is produced in pictorial, symbolised format. Reference: National Care Standards Support Services - >Standard 11(7)

The registered manager should review the staff hours and rota to ensure that there is sufficient staff

resources to ensure planned activities are not cancelled in the event of staff absence and allows centre users to access community activities individually rather than in groups should they so wish. Reference:
National Care Standards Support Services - Standard 8 (1) (4)

The registered manager should ensure staff training plans includes appropriate training and development opportunities for staff to enable them to support centre users pursue their chosen activities. Reference:
National Care Standards Support Services - Standard 8 (1) (4)

A requirement is a statement setting out an enforceable action required of a service provider in order that the service complies wfth cun'ent legislation, usually wfthin a specific timescale.

None

Karen Robertson
Care Commission Officer

Signed:__________________________ Date: 23/11/04

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