A substance and alcohol misuse service has made widespread improvements and has been rated outstanding following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in May.
CQC inspected New Directions Bradford, and found a service where people benefitted from outstanding care.
New Directions Bradford is part of the national charity, Change, Grow, Live (CGL), and provides advice, treatment and support for substance and alcohol misuse in Bradford and Keighley, West Yorkshire.
Following the inspection, the service was rated outstanding overall and for being caring and effective. It was rated good for being safe, well-led and responsive. The service was previously rated as requires improvement overall.
Brian Cranna, CQC’s head of hospital inspection, said:
“When we inspected New Directions Bradford, we were extremely impressed by the level of support people received and found a service that had made widespread improvements.
“There was a strong and visible person-centred culture at the service. Staff knew people well and all the interactions we saw were kind and respectful. Former service users had become staff members and were actively involved in making decisions about the future of the service. People fed back how helpful it was to get supported by someone who had lived through similar experiences.
“We were impressed that the service had ran a campaign to test as many people as possible for Hepatitis C and referred anyone for treatment who needed it. The campaign had been a success and had referred people who may not have been identified as needing treatment.
“During the pandemic, the service went above and beyond to ensure people received support. For example, leaders increased the number of mobile phones given to people so they could stay connected with the service.
“Staff also ensured Naloxone was accessible in accommodation where opiate users lived. This is a medication that reverses the effects of opioid usage. They distributed kits and provided training on administering it in hostels across Bradford.
“Feedback about the service was consistently positive. People and their families said the care they received was exceptional and that they were always involved in decision making.
“The whole team deserve to be congratulated for all their hard work and commitment.”
CQC inspectors found:
- Effective systems and processes were in place to monitor the quality of the service. Managers and senior staff reviewed performance data to identify any themes and trends
- Staff had excellent working relationships with external partners and agencies. Staff worked collaboratively and had found effective ways to deliver joined-up care and treatment
- Feedback from clients, family members and carers was overwhelmingly positive
- Managers and senior staff had a very good understanding of the service they managed. They were visible in the service and approachable for clients and staff
- Staff felt comfortable raising concerns and were confident their concerns would be taken seriously
- Staff worked with local tissue viability nurses to establish a referral process and develop new consent to share forms
- Staff worked collaboratively and had found effective ways to deliver joined-up care. This included a ‘one stop shop’ with partner agencies at a church, which provided a safe and inclusive space for clients and the homeless community to speak with multiple agencies.