CGL St Helens Integrated Recovery Service

Updated 23 March 2020

CGL Integrated Recovery Service is a confidential drug and alcohol service for adults in St Helens. They aim for clients to direct and sustain the changes they need to make to reduce and, ultimately, stop drug and/or alcohol use.

They aim to empower clients to identify and realise goals throughout their recovery journey to live a healthier, safer life. The service is staffed by a team of professionals who offer a range of opportunities from workshops, brief interventions, structured groups and one-to-one sessions. This is complimented by clinical services such as alcohol detoxification, harm reduction advice, blood borne virus testing (including HIV and Hep C), naloxone training and referral to other services. The service has a number of teams including an outreach team, a criminal justice team, and an engagement team.

The population of St Helens is just over 180,000 people (2018), approximately 49% male and 51% female. The average age of people is 41. Life expectancy is below the national average for both males and females. Some 22% of all people reported limiting long term illness, and 8% not in good health. The service aims to address the health issues related to substance misuse in the St Helens area.

The regulated activity at the service is the treatment of disease, disorder or injury. There is a registered manager in place. The service was registered with the Care Quality Commission in March 2019. This is the first time the location has been inspected.

Updated 23 March 2020

We rated CGL St Helens Integrated Recovery Service as good because:

• The premises where clients received care were safe, clean, well equipped, well furnished, well maintained and fit for purpose. Staff assessed and managed risks to clients and themselves well. The service had enough staff, who knew the clients and received basic training to keep them safe from avoidable harm. The service embedded personal safety protocols for staff including lone working policies where necessary.
• Staff completed comprehensive assessments with clients on accessing the service. They worked with clients to develop individual care plans and updated them as needed. Care plans reflected the assessed needs, were personalised, holistic and recovery-oriented. Staff provided a range of care and treatment interventions suitable for the client group. The interventions were those recommended by, and were delivered in line with, guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
• Staff supported clients to live healthier lives – for example, through participation in smoking cessation schemes, healthy eating advice, managing cardiovascular risks, screening for bacteraemia in wounds, and dealing with issues relating to substance misuse. The service had effective working relationships with other relevant teams within the organisation and with relevant services outside the organisation.

• Staff treated clients with compassion and kindness. They understood the individual needs of clients and supported clients to understand and manage their care and treatment. Staff supported clients to understand and manage their care, treatment or condition. Each person using the service had a recovery plan and risk management plan in place that demonstrated the person's preferences, recovery expectation and goals. Staff engaged with people using the service, their families and carers to develop responses that meet their needs and ensured they have information needed to make informed decisions about their care.

• The service was easy to access. Staff planned and managed discharge well. The service had alternative care pathways and referral systems for people whose needs it could not meet. The design, layout, and furnishings of treatment rooms supported clients’ treatment, privacy and dignity. Staff encouraged clients to develop and maintain relationships with people that mattered to them, both within the services and the wider community.

• 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 clients and staff. Staff knew and understood the provider’s vision and values and how they were applied in the work of their team. Governance policies, procedures and protocols were regularly reviewed and improved and included an equality impact assessment. Staff undertook or participated in local clinical audits. The audits were sufficient to provide assurance and staff acted on the results when needed.

Updated 23 March 2020