Gowrie Care Limited - Temporary Supported Accommodation Housing Support Service
Bruntsfield House 65 Bruntsfield Place Edinburgh EH10 4HQ
Telephone: 0131-228 9611
Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 3 August 2017
Service provided by: Service provider number: Gowrie Care Ltd SP2003000083
Care service number: CS2004061962 Inspection report
About the service
Gowrie Care Limited - Temporary Accommodation service provides housing support to people who are homeless. The temporary accommodation is at three locations in Edinburgh, one in Bruntsfield, one in Oxgangs and one at Tollcross. The service at Tollcross had recently moved from accommodation in Leith. People the service supports have experienced a range of issues in their lives. The service provides them with the support they need and want to move on to and sustain more permanent accommodation.
The service aims to provide "the necessary individual support to enable service users to move on to live in more permanent accommodation, with or without support".
What people told us
Fourteen people the service was supporting returned care standard questionnaires to us. Three were living at Oxgangs, seven at Bruntsfield and ourf at Tollcross. Ten strongly agreed and four agreed they were happy with the support they got from the service. Comments included:
- "I find all the staff very helpful and polite. I eelf there is respect for people's problems, and I don't feel judged. I know if I have any issues with regards to any of my problems...I could approach the staff and they would help me find a solution." - "Absolutely brilliant support team. Always treat me with respect....Love the service."
We spoke with ten people during our inspection, two at Oxgangs, four at Bruntsfield and ourf at Tollcross. They were all very positive about the service, the support they were getting, the staff who were supporting them and the difference the support was making to their lives. They said:
- "I'm treated like an adult here. It's quiet and I'm treated with respect." - "All staff are friendly down to earth and helpful. I could go to staff if I had any problems." - "All staff are approachable. They are always around and able to chat."
One person told us their keyworker had offered to go with them to access groups. They said; "I struggle to meet other people and it helps".
Another told us they could have panic attacks during the night. They said; "I can go for a walk and staff will support me when I get back."
A couple of people at Tollcross talked about not having things to do and feeling isolated. They said they had no TV, no place to meet up with others and couldn't use the garden. The use of the garden was a misunderstanding and was cleared up. The service was developing a computer hub, which would give people things to do in the service and they were getting to know more about the area and local groups and activities people might want to get involved in. This was something they could continue to discuss at meeting with people living there. A few of the people living at Bruntsfield said they didn't know who the manager was. The management team will make sure people have this information and have the opportunity to meet the manager. People living at Oxgangs and Tollcross were very clear about who the manager was and felt they could speak to them if they had any issues.
Inspection report for Gowrie Care Limited - Temporary Supported Accommodation page 2 of 6 Inspection report
Self assessment
We are not asking services to submit a self-assessment for this inspection year. Instead, we will ask services for their improvement or development plan and discuss any improvements they may have made or intend to make since the last inspection. The service had improvement plans in place and we could see how they were working toward achieving the development objectives they had agreed.
From this inspection we graded this service as:
Quality of care and support 6 - Excellent Quality of staffing 6 - Excellent Quality of management and leadership not assessed
What the service does well
Most people the service supported achieved positive outcomes. Their mental and physical health improved, they stabilised or reduced their alcohol and/or drug use, their financial situation improved, they found worthwhile things to do and moved to a more permanent home. Staff used the "Outcomes Star" very well to help people decide what changes they needed and wanted to make, what they could do to make those changes and what support they needed. Staff were very flexible in finding ways that would help people engage with support. People felt in control of their support. They said:
- "Anything I need - housing, job centre, paperwork, mental health - very supportive." - "Staff are realistic in their support. They go at the right pace."
Staff felt valued, listened to and well supported. They had interesting and relevant learning opportunities and opportunities for 1:1 and group supervision, encouraging them to reflect on their practice. They were encouraged to lead and take responsibility in their key work role, in various aspects of service delivery and in developing areas of expertise to share with the team. The introduction of Outcomes Star "champions" was a positive development.
People felt very confident in staff supporting them. They oundf them knowledgeable, experienced, approachable and respectful. Staff were excellent at getting alongside people and were very good at judging the level of support needed to help people make changes and use other services. They had knowledge of and relationships with a wide range of services that people found helpful. People told us:
- "The staff have been nothing but helpful since my move a couple of weeks ago. I was given a tour and told about rules and procedures. They have given me information on helpful services and other charity organisations that can help me also. I am regularly asked if I am ok or if I need help and feel really supported here." - "The staff who provide my support are highly professional and are very competent at their work." - "Staff are brilliant. You can speak to them about mental health. They make you feel secure and safe. I've never had that. They see the good in me."
Inspection report for Gowrie Care Limited - Temporary Supported Accommodation page 3 of 6 Inspection report
The service used audits well to maintain quality. They had developed the service: - offering support for a short time when people moved on, to help them settle in their new home - involving someone using the service in leading the Good Food Good practice group - increasing therapeutic work opportunities in the computer hubs, gardens and the Clothes Line - employing an Arabic speaking relief worker, who had used the service and was able to support people using the service now. - They had worked together to develop improvement plans, with everyone taking responsibility in leading areas for improvement.
What the service could do better
We suggested they could review the "warnings procedures" to better reflect how they support people to make positive behaviour changes, helping them maintain their accommodation now and in future.
The managers intend to make better use of the Outcomes Star management reports to highlight what the service is doing well and what they can improve on.
The service has had a number of changes in the management team and in support staff. Retaining stable staff teams is important in making sure people experience high quality support that is right for them.
We suggested the service could use the five key areas of psychologically informed environments for people who are homeless as a framework to continue to improve the service.
Requirements Number of requirements: 0
Recommendations Number of recommendations: 0
Complaints
There have been no complaints upheld since the last inspection. Details of any older upheld complaints are published at www.careinspectorate.com.
Inspection report for Gowrie Care Limited - Temporary Supported Accommodation page 4 of 6 Inspection report
Inspection and grading history
Date Type Gradings 24 May 2016 Announced (short notice) Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Not assessed Staffing Not assessed Management and leadership 6 - Excellent
11 Feb 2015 Unannounced Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Not assessed Staffing 6 - Excellent Management and leadership 6 - Excellent
22 May 2013 Announced (short notice) Care and support 6 - Excellent Environment Not assessed Staffing 6 - Excellent Management and leadership 6 - Excellent
4 Jun 2010 Announced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment Not assessed Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership Not assessed
2 Mar 2009 Announced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment Not assessed Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership 5 - Very good
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To find out more
This inspection report is published by the Care Inspectorate. You can download this report and others from our website.
Care services in Scotland cannot operate unless they are registered with the Care Inspectorate. We inspect, award grades and help services to improve. We also investigate complaints about care services and can take action when things aren't good enough.
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