Agenda item

Update by the Operations Director on SB Cares Services with the Care Inspectorate on Inspections by Care Inspectorate.  (Copy attached.)

6.1       With reference to paragraph 6 of the Minute of 17 May 2016, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Operations Director of SB Cares giving the updated position on the inspection of SB Care services by the Care Inspectorate.  Ms Crombie advised that since the last report to LLP SGG in May 2016, the Care Inspectorate reports on Victoria Park, Home Care East and Home Care West had been finalised with no changes.  Final Reports for the Katharine Elliot Centre, the Ability Centre and Teviot Older People Day Services had also been received and action plans had been developed by these units to meet all requirements and recommendations. Details of the actions plans were included in Appendix 1 to the report.  One further inspection was currently underway for Hawick Community Support Service and this would be reported to the LLP SGG in due course.  Quarterly progress reporting to the LLP SGG on the delivery of all action plans would continue.

6.2       Members raised a number of points for clarification.  With reference to Appendix 2 of the report, under "Quality of Management and Leadership" Members noted that the grading awarded was currently at 4 – Good, and asked whether any work was in progress to raise this to Grade 5 or above.  Ms Crombie explained that SB Cares was looking into development of a management and leadership training programme and that further information would be presented in due course.  On request by Members, more detail would be included in future reports relating to specific areas of scoring by the Care Inspectorate and the inclusion of an equalities paragraph would also be considered as appropriate.  Ms Crombie also explained that the way in which Care Inspectorate reports were presented could be confusing, eg when a report on a service assigned grades of 5 – very good and 6 – excellent whilst still making 15 recommendations.  Discussion followed in respect of applications to the Care Inspectorate for variations in the documentation to allow some level of flexibility in areas such as sharing of buildings and separate entrances.  Following on from the preceding discussion, Members had requested that arrangements be made for them to visit one or more establishments to gain a deeper understanding of the issues being dealt with and it was noted that this would take place in October 2016.  In response to a question relating to Care Inspectorate reports where there were no recommendations, Ms Crombie advised that SB Cares management would take account of the whole report to identify areas where they considered improvement could be made.

            DECISION

            NOTED:-

(a)     the improved Care Inspectorate grades achieved by the Ability Centre and Teviot Day Services;

(b)     that the Katharine Elliot Centre had maintained Good and Very Good gradings;

(c)     that all actions identified for Katharine Elliot Centre, The Ability Centre and Teviot Day Services were being implemented to meet all requirements and recommendations;

(d)     the progress being made to deliver the requirements and recommendations set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(e)     that SB Cares Management would continue to monitor the delivery of agreed action plans and report progress to the Limited Liability Partnership Strategic Governance Group on a quarterly basis.