Isle Of Wight Outreach Home Care Team Rated 'Good' By CCG

A team at the Isle of Wight Council that provides short-term care at home after Islanders have been discharged from St Mary's Hospital has been rated 'good' in an inspection.

Following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in December, the Isle of Wight Council’s adult social care community reablement and outreach service has been rated ‘good’ overall in all key areas.

Inspectors rated the service, based in Sandown and working Island-wide, ‘good’ across all five key areas of care - safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.

This was the service's first key CQC inspection as a standalone service after being registered with the inspecting body in September 2019.

It was previously registered with its sister reablement services at The Adelaide in Ryde and The Gouldings in Freshwater.

Martin Garbett, the council’s registered manager for the service, said:

"I am delighted the inspector was able to see and comment on the great progress that has been made in the service.

"Such a positive result gives those we support confidence in the service they should expect, and is testimony to the hard work, flexibility and commitment of each member of the team. This result is a tribute to their continued professionalism and efforts.”

The service provides short-stay, outreach community re-enablement services to people living in their own homes, helping them optimise their independence and confidence.

Around 90 people each week are supported who have either come home from a stay in hospital, or have received the service to avoid hospital admission.

The CQC identified that people using the service felt safe and that their needs were being met in a personalised way by staff who were kind and caring.

“Everybody told us they felt safe and their property was respected," a relative told inspectors. "I always feel they are safe with them (care staff), they know what they are doing."

One person said:

"I'm not worried about anything, I feel safe when they (care staff) are here.

Comments from staff included: "I really love this job. Everyone is really supportive and helpful," and "I feel very well supported; I can talk to the management at any time if I need to, someone is always available."

The report added that staff were trained in infection control and additional guidance had been provided following the coronavirus pandemic.

One staff member said:

"When it (Covid-19) started we all got information immediately about what to do and the (pool) cars were stocked up with everything we needed."

Councillor Clare Mosdell, Cabinet member for adult social care, public health and housing needs, said the council was exceptionally pleased with the inspection report. 

She said:

“As a council, our core ambition is to support people to have maximum levels of independence and thus control over their lives.

"Our outreach services provide invaluable, short-term reablement services to people after they have experienced an acute illness or accident.

"Our home based reablement services, which were inspected by the CQC, are fully integrated into the Regaining Independence Service with our community therapist colleagues based in the Isle of Wight NHS Trust.

"This inspection by the CQC was conducted in the midst of the pandemic and the fact that the CQC has been so positive about every aspect of the service is testament to the hard work and professional skill of our brilliant front line carers."