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Inspection on 15/12/09 for Littledale Hall Therapeutic Community

Also see our care home review for Littledale Hall Therapeutic Community for more information

This is the latest available inspection report for this service, carried out on 15th December 2009.

it is an annual review prepared by CQC after examining previous reports and information from the provider. At the time of this report, CQC judged the service to be Excellent.

The inspector made no statutory requirements on the home as a result of this inspection and there were no outstanding actions from the previous inspection report.

What follows are excerpts from this inspection report. For more information read the full report on the next tab.

Annual service review Name of Service: Littledale Hall Therapeutic Community The quality rating for this care home is: The rating was made on: three star excellent service 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 7 A quality rating is our assessment of how well a care home, agency or scheme is meeting the needs of the people who use it. We give a quality rating following a full review of the service. We call this review a ‘key’ inspection We do an annual service review when there has been no key inspection of the service in the last 12 months. It does not involve a visit to the service but is a summary of new information given to us, or collected by us, since the last key inspection or annual service review.   Has this annual service review changed our opinion of the service?   No You should read the last key inspection report for this service to get a full picture of how well outcomes for the people using the service are being met. The date by which we will do a key inspection: Name of inspector: Lesley Plant Date of this annual service review: 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 9 Annual Service Review Page 1 of 6 Information about the service Address of service: Littledale Hall Littledale Lancaster Lancashire LA2 9EY 01524771400 01524771553 lhtc@btconnect.com Telephone number: Fax number: Email address: Provider web address:   Name of registered provider(s): Conditions of registration: Category(ies) : past or present alcohol dependence past or present drug dependence Conditions of registration: Littledale Hall Therapeutic Community Limited Number of places (if applicable): Under 65 Over 65 31 31 0 0 The registered person may provide the following category of service only: Care home only - Code PC to service users of the following gender: Either whose primary care needs on admission to the home are within the following categories: Past or present drug dependence - Code D Past or present alcohol dependence - Code A The maximum number of service users who can be accommodated is: 31 Have there been any changes in the ownership, management or the No service’s registration details in the last 12 months? If yes, what have they been: Date of last key inspection: Date of last annual service review (if applicable): Brief description of the service Littledale Hall Therapeutic Community provides services to people whose lives have been adversely affected by their substance misuse. The home seeks to offer a safe, supportive environment where people can address the emotional, psychological and social issues linked to their substance misuse. 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 7 Annual Service Review Page 2 of 6 The programme used is built around five stages: Belonging, Safety, Openness, Participation and Citizenship, and Empowerment, with twelve key elements, some being an essential part of the programme and some optional, being incorporated into care plans, as appropriate to each individual. The treatment programme has a strong theoretical base, which focuses on the positive attributes people have, gradually building self-efficiency through a programme, which is supportive, and client focused. Residents are supported to overcome their physical, psychological and emotional dependency on their chosen substance (or substances) enabling them to strive towards independence. An aftercare service is also provided. Littledale Hall is a Grade 2 Listed Building dating back to the 18th Century. It is set in 200 acres of woodland and open countryside, accessed via a long private drive and, being very secluded, provides a tranquil environment for those staying there. The large shared bedrooms are situated mainly on the first floor. There is one bedroom on the ground floor, which would be suitable people with physical difficulties. There are two lounges, one of which is the designated smoking room, plus other rooms for group and individual programme sessions. Annual Service Review Page 3 of 6 Service update since the last key inspection or annual service review: What did we do for this annual service review? We looked at all the information that we have received, or asked for, since the last key inspection or annual service review. This included; The annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) that was sent to us by the service. The AQAA is a self-assessment that focuses on how well outcomes are being met for people using the service. It also gave us some numerical information about the service. Surveys returned to us by people using the service and by staff. Information we have about how the service has managed any complaints. What the service has told us about things that have happened in the service, these are called notifications and are a legal requirement. The previous key inspection report. Relevant information from other organisations. What other people have told us about the service. Information from any visits we have made to the service. What has this told us about the service? The service sent us their annual quality assurance assessment (AQAA) when we asked for it. It was clear and gave us all the information we asked for. Information within the AQAA shows that a high quality service continues to be provided. Service users continue to be involved in staff recruitment and in reviewing the treatment programme provided at Littledale Hall. The service adapts and develops according to the needs of service users and in response to the feedback they provide. Changes to service provision include; appointing a specialist worker to provide support to individuals who have complex childcare issues, increasing the provision of individual counselling sessions and introducing single sex group sessions. Volunteering opportunities for service users continue to be supported, such as with the National Trust. At present the manager is considering how to improve accessibility for day visits prior to admission and is looking at introducing day visits immediately after assessments, for people who have had to travel long distances. The service has achieved Investor in People status, which is an externally accredited quality award and demonstrates a strong commitment to continuous improvement. Littledale Hall continues to provide placements for students from a wide range of disciplines, including clinical psychology and has been shortlisted for a national award regarding the quality of placements provided. Information in the AQAA confirms that the figures regarding service user retention and completion of the programme at Littledale Hall exceed the national average. Annual Service Review Page 4 of 6 Staff support and supervision is given a high priority, with staff now being able to access an externally facilitated reflective practice group, as well as individual internal supervision sessions. This shows that staff are supported to evaluate their work practice and that the personal and professional development of staff is valued and promoted. Information in the AQAA shows that equipment, such as fire equipment is checked and serviced and that maintenance and refurbishment of the home are ongoing. Bedroom furniture has been replaced, bathrooms refurbished and some rooms have been decorated. This all helps to ensure that Littledale Hall remains a safe, comfortable and attractive place for people to stay. 29 service users completed CQC surveys and provided extremely positive feedback about the service provided. It is clear that service users feel safe, are happy with the way the treatment programme is run and feel that staff are supportive and fully committed to each persons recovery. Comments included; I feel the care and help Im receiving at Littledale is excellent. It has good structure and criteria and the support network is massive, everything in this house works well. and The staff team here have bent over backwards to help me with certain issues I am struggling with. All the staff are very professional and dedicated to the cause of every single residents recovery. The 9 CQC surveys received from staff all contained positive feedback about what it is like to work at Littledale Hall and in particular about the strong management of the service and the excellent support provided to staff. Comments included; It works well because of the strength and commitment of both the staff team and the manager. The dedication is second to none. I have been inducted and trained to a high standard. and The staff supervision at Littledale is excellent and our manager is available to us if we have concerns outside of this time, at anytime. The home continues to let us know about things that have happened since our last key inspection. Neither the home nor the Commission have received any complaints since the last key inspection. We looked at all the information we have received and our judgement is that the service continues to provide excellent outcomes for the people who use it. What are we going to do as a result of this annual service review? We will continue to monitor the service. We can inspect the service at any time if we have concerns about the quality of the service or the safety of the people using the service. Annual Service Review Page 5 of 6 Reader Information Document Purpose: Author: Audience: Further copies from: Annual service review CQC General Public 0870 240 7535 (national contact centre) Our duty to regulate social care services is set out in the Care Standards Act 2000. The content of which can be found on our website. Helpline: Telephone: 03000 616161 Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk Web: www.cqc.org.uk We want people to be able to access this information. If you would like a copy of the findings in a different format or language please contact our helpline or go to our website. 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