2018-12-12 10:42:21

Stroud Domiciliary Care Agency (DCA) has become the second service in Gloucestershire run by Hft, to be rated as ‘Outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The service in Stroud, which provides 47 people with personal care and support to live independently in their own homes, was described as “outstandingly caring and responsive”.

The CQC inspects adult social care services to determine whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Stroud DCA was rated as ‘outstanding’ in two of the five areas and as ‘good’ in the other three.  The service was awarded an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’ –placing it in the top three per cent of adult social care services inspected by CQC and making it the second Hft service to be awarded the distinction. The charity’s Moreton in Marsh service was also awarded the top rating in 2017.

The report found that “people were empowered to creatively develop their independence to their potential.”  It also noted that this was achieved by following Hft’s “innovative” Fusion Model – a framework used to help individuals develop and grow and “to ensure staff had the skills and understanding to provide exceptional person-centred care.” For one person, this included completing hygiene training to enable them to safely prepare and cook food, and for another it was support to manage their finances for the first time.  Others had been supported to find paid or voluntary employment. The report also took into account feedback from relatives who noticed increased levels of independence, with one commenting that their relative was “doing things he never used to do.”

The service was also found to be “exceptional at supporting people to maintain relationships that mattered to them” with staff working “creatively to ensure people were not socially isolated and existing relationships could be maintained and enhanced.” This included supporting people to use Skype to maintain contact with friends and family, and facilitating regular phone calls and visits to see relatives.  One married couple were also given help to live together. They were supported to move into a ground floor flat which was adapted to meet their needs and fitted with personalised technology to promote their independence and wellbeing. Staff also worked to facilitate opportunities for the couple to spend time together away from their flat without staff needing to be present.

Cherno Bah, Registered Cluster Manager for Gloucestershire, said:

“For our Stroud service to be rated as ‘Outstanding’ is a fantastic achievement and we are delighted that the impact of our Fusion Model of Support, which we use to deliver consistently high quality services, was recognised. We pride ourselves on supporting people to live with more independence, choice, and control to achieve their individual potential.  The rating is a testament to the dedication of the staff team who are working hard to meet our ultimate goal of ensuring the people we support are empowered to live the best life possible.”

Notes to editors

For further information please email media.enquiries@hft.org.uk

About Hft

Proudly established in 1962 by a group of visionary parents, Hft is a charity supporting more than 2,500 learning disabled adults in England and Wales. Together, we are creating a future where learning disabled people and their families can live the best life possible.

Providing personalised support. Creating solutions for living independently. Coming together to campaign for positive change. Fundraising for new opportunities and a bigger impact.

In 2033, we’ll live in a world where learning disabled people have greater choice. About where they live. The support they need and want. And how to spend their time and money.

Learning disability versus difficulty

A learning disability is different from a learning difficulty but the terms are often confused and used inter-changeably. A learning difficulty does not affect general intellect, whereas a learning disability is a life-long condition characterised by a reduced intellectual ability and struggle with everyday activities.

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For more information about Hft please visit www.hft.org.uk

Location: Hft Gloucestershire