Sheltered Housing - Rutherglen/Blantyre/ Cambuslang Housing Support Service
Cambuslang Gate 2nd Floor, 27 Main Street Cambuslang Glasgow G72 7EX
Telephone: 0141 584 2849
Type of inspection: Unannounced Inspection completed on: 23 June 2017
Service provided by: Service provider number: South Lanarkshire Council SP2003003481
Care service number: CS2005113586 Inspection report
About the service
Rutherglen/Cambuslang/Blantyre Sheltered Housing Service is provided by South Lanarkshire Council and was registered by the Care Inspectorate in 2011.
The registered manager is the Team Leader for the housing support service delivered to over 450 individuals, older people or younger adults considered to meet the criteria for sheltered housing.
The service employs Sheltered Housing Officers (SHO) orf a set number of hours per day. They have daily contact with the people who use the service, which is delivered 365 days per year, and supported by personal alarm technology to offer out of hours emergency contact known as "Alert" Community Alarm Service.
The Sheltered Housing Service delivers support in purpose built and varying styles and layouts of accommodation, specified houses or streets in the community, self-contained apartments and bungalow houses, to vulnerable people who reside in the specified areas of South Lanarkshire. The sheltered housing complexes offer communal lounge and kitchen facilities, laundry rooms, car parking and well maintained landscaped grounds. There are a small number of complexes which do not have an onsite office or communal lounge orf the tenants to access. The provider has designated SHO's to support these types of complexes and ensures that tenants are provided with information regarding participation in the social events organised in nearby sheltered housing complexes.
The new purpose built complexes are being used as "The Hub" where the tenants and local community can access the facilities for such things as socialisation through Dementia Café or Lunch Clubs or use of the Broadband in the communal areas, to meet health professionals or hairdresser, or access the "assisted" bathing facilities with specialised equipment with the support of care staff.
All the complexes have their own tenants' social committee who consult with all who reside in the complex to ensure events are arranged to meet the diverse views and suggestions.
What people told us
Sixty-seven (67) completed Care Inspectorate Satisfaction Questionnaires were returned by people who use the service or their relatives.
During the inspection we were able to speak to 27 tenants who attended Coffee Morning in Bothwell, Lunch Club in Cambuslang, Lunch Club in "The Hub" Rutherglen and those tenants who had met in the communal lounge of another complex in Rutherglen for afternoon and a chat.
The questionnaires and those tenants who participated on the days of the inspection told us that they were very happy with the environment which they felt was well maintained by the provider and there was plenty of social activities to opt in or out of. They felt they could go to the Sheltered Housing Officer (SHO) with any concerns or problems and the SHO regularly consulted and reviewed with them the contents and accuracy of their individual care plan.
"Since moving here it has helped our way of life tremendously and we are eternally grateful to live here"
"I am very happy with the service and the SHOs are very kind, any problems they solve. I could not ask for a better team. Nothing is too much for them. I know when my health gets bad they will be there to help and advise me with my needs"
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"I have lived in sheltered accommodation for over two decades and have felt supported throughout changes in my life and needs .... They (SHOs) keep up to date with all my personal details and annually we have a face to face which is invaluable. I feel this is a service which has allowed me to feel safe in my own home".
"Staff members take a genuine interest in delivering a 1st class service to all tenants within the complex, I am confident that my parent can depend on the team for assistance and guidance, no task is ever a bother and I am also content to know that if they had any concerns they would contact either myself or members of my family."
"very helpful indeed, I thought it was only for people who lived in the complex, staff managed to get a problem fixed that I had been trying to get esolvedr ...... Staff also encouraged me to join groups as I am socially isolated, I am not a sheltered housing tenant, excellent service".
Self assessment
The service was not asked to submit a Self Assessment for inspection period 2017-2018.
From this inspection we graded this service as:
Quality of care and support 5 - Very Good Quality of staffing 5 - Very Good Quality of management and leadership not assessed
What the service does well
During the inspection two inspectors visited four sheltered housing complexes. The tenants and members of the community we spoke with were very pleased with the service they receive from the SHO and feel they can influence efurbishment,r decoration and development of their own complex.
The tenants explained their views were asked for and listened to by South Lanarkshire Council through their various quality assurance surveys, questionnaires, tenants meetings and the Council's Complaints policy and procedure. The provider published its aims and objectives and the completion of quality assurance and audit processes ensure it meets these. An outcome of the Health and Social Care integration and partnership process the provider has created an improvement plan which is part of the continuous improvement strategy for the services for older people.
The tenants told us they and their carers had been assisted by the SHO, when they moved into the complex, to record in the Tenant Record Support Plan their needs and how they wished to be supported. They confirmed that they were regularly invited to review the support plan contents and keep the information current and accurate, which gave them a sense of confidence and safety should there be an emergency. The tenants said they had been consulted regarding the addition of "pen picture " in the Tenant Record and confirmed the outcome was that most tenants felt it was "intrusive and unnecessary but pleased the Council and the Care Inspectorate were making suggestions about possible additions to the plan content".
There was very positive feedback from and tenants spoken to during the inspection and the questionnaires regarding the staff. They told us that the SHO made a "welfare call" in a morning to ensure all was well with the individuals.
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They also explained that every house had an alarm system for emergencies and some tenants had other forms of assistive technology plus other care support services delivered by the provider. The SHO and the noticeboard kept them informed what was happening in the complex and other complexes in the community and they helped answer questions and sort out any problems.
The completed staff questionnaires and those spoken to during the inspection concurred with the information provided by the tenants that this was a stable workforce which provided continuity of care and support to the people who use the service. The provider ensured a knowledgeable and skilled workforce through the provision of training courses that permit the staff to meet the needs of the tenants and to be registered with the Scottish Social Services Council. Staff also participate in regular staff meetings, personal development and regular supervision interviews with the individuals designated line manager.
What the service could do better
The service confirmed that they are actively looking at opportunities for extending the role sheltered housing complexes play within local communities. The aim is to build on existing community links so that all sheltered housing sites become "hubs" where older people can join in social activities but also gain access to other services such as health or information regarding Social Services.
The provider has had Broadband installed in a number of complexes but an SHO explained it was not fully operational as security systems had to be put in place to protect all persons when accessing a shared computer.
At feedback with the service we raised the protection of tenants' health and safety with regard to appropriate storage of equipment and warning notices where equipment is out of order. We discussed the inhouse consultations and reviews in place which include the workforce and the capacity for the service to improve the standard of record keeping and the overall outcomes, the impact on the service and benefit to the people who use 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.
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Inspection and grading history
Date Type Gradings 2 Oct 2015 Unannounced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment Not assessed Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership 5 - Very good
21 Oct 2013 Announced Care and support 5 - Very good Environment Not assessed Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership 6 - Excellent
30 Mar 2012 Announced (short notice) Care and support 5 - Very good Environment Not assessed Staffing 5 - Very good Management and leadership 6 - Excellent
19 May 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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Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas.
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