Sheltered Housing - Bellshill/Viewpark
Housing Support Service
26 Motherwell Road
Bellshill
ML4 1RE
Telephone: 01698 332346
Type of inspection: Unannounced
Inspection completed on: 17 May 2017
Service provided by:
North Lanarkshire Council
Care service number:
CS2004069090
Service provider number:
SP2003000237
Inspection report
About the service
The Sheltered Housing Bellshill/Viewpark service is provided by North Lanarkshire Council and delivers housing
support to older people. There are seven purpose-built and varying styles of sheltered housing complexes, with
direct street or communal corridor access. Complexes have shared facilities and social areas including a common
room and during the inspection we observed tenants and residents from the local communities making use of
these areas.
There are over two hundred tenancies within these complexes and tenants benefit from the adapted
accommodation, 24 hour alarm service, housing support, activities and social opportunities. Sheltered housing
officers offer a range of housing support services and facilitate community links and social opportunities/
activities. The community alarm service offers emergency support outwith the sheltered housing officers normal
working hours.
North Lanarkshire Council states that it aims "to provide a high quality sheltered housing service that helps you
live independently by providing a range of sheltered housing services that meet your needs, where staff
recognise your right to dignity and privacy and encourage you to take an active part in the community".
What people told us
Those persons who were interviewed or completed the questionnaires spoke highly of the care service
received. Some of the comments received were:
'We feel secure in that our officer has our best interest, in our care and support. Encouraging us to mix well in
our complex's life'.
'We are happy in our home within the complex'.
'The warden at our complex takes the time to get to know each of the tenants and their needs on an individual
basis and is always helpful and approachable on a variety of subjects relating to the complex'.
'I am more than happy with the service and help I have received'.
'The wardens are always there to listen to any worries you have, true angels! Professionals in every way'.
'I am very happy and content, I also feel secure and protected as the wardens could not be more attentive and
helpful. The few repairs I have reported have been attended to promptly and everyone is very friendly and polite'.
'This is a very well run complex. I feel safe and happy with the service'.
'I feel very safe and happy with the very good service'.
'Could not fault anything'.
Self assessment
The Care Inspectorate did not request a self-assessment for this inspection year.
From this inspection we graded this service as:
Quality of care and support
Quality of staffing
Quality of management and leadership
5 - Very Good
5 - Very Good
not assessed
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Inspection report
What the service does well
Service users live in purpose-built developments or in terraced bungalows. All developments have shared lounges
or a common room which service users used for a range of events including lunch clubs, bingo and arts and
crafts. Prospective and new tenants have a range of information made available to them as well as a range of
information, which is made available in the complex foyers and noticeboards. We were able to see that tenant's
participate in evaluating the service, making choices about changes and making suggestions for improvements.
Each sheltered housing complex has a sheltered housing officer (SHO) who undertakes a range of tasks in order
to improve outcomes for tenants. SHO's in partnership with tenants develop support plans which are reviewed
six-monthly or sooner, if there is a change in circumstances. They also undertake risk assessments to improve
safety levels, carry out daily wellbeing checks, facilitate social opportunities and liaise with other professionals to
improve the health and wellbeing of tenants. Tenants spoke positively about their relationships with the SHO.
The emergency call system alerts sheltered housing officers to emergencies during normal working hours.
Outwith these hours and at the weekends, the call is directed to the community alarm service. In our
conversations with tenants it is clear that this service provides a great deal of reassurance.
The management of the service visited each complex regularly and staff said they felt supported by these visits.
Regular meetings, supervisions and discussions with staff ensured the relevant records were in place and up
dated as required. It is clear from our conversations with staff that team meetings are instrumental in developing
a sense of team working, providing colleague support, allowing the sharing of ideas and in identifying areas for
improvement.
The service has developed good links with the local emergency services such as Scottish Fire and Rescue and the
Police to promote fire safety awareness and crime prevention. Tenant's spoke of feeling safe within the
complexes and denied any anti-social behaviour that caused any concern. We suggested prevention work in
relation to increased safety awareness of bogus callers and potential exploitation.
We were encouraged to see that where possible sheltered housing officers had taken initiatives, to inform
tenants and people from the local communities on issues such as sensory impairment and dementia.
The majority of service users we heard from expressed high levels of satisfaction with the service. Many spoke
of experiencing positive outcomes as a result of living in the complexes such as, improved sense of safety,
improved social opportunities and improved health and wellbeing. Tenants spoke very positively of the
relationship and support from sheltered housing officers.
What the service could do better
We suggested that the care plan and review documentation could be clearer. The review documentation should
demonstrate the views of all participating, the discussions, changes and actions to be taken. The care plan only
needs to be updated if there have been changes. The communication with other professionals could
be documented in a way that enables ease of access to multi-disciplinary input.
Sheltered housing officers are an essential source of information during an assessment, review or in an
emergency. We recognise that the management have made efforts to improve information sharing with other
departments, and we would encourage them to continue to impress on their health, colleagues of the
importance of improved communications.
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Inspection report
The service was able to demonstrate that staff have accessed mandatory training however, we recommended
that staff are given opportunities to access training which is relevant to their own service user needs, such as
awareness of epilepsy, substance misuse or diabetes. We would recommend that staff training records include all
training events including E-Learning, classroom training and staff seminars. In addition, the service needs to
ensure that staff are trained in-line with the national dementia strategy: Promoting Excellence in Dementia
Care.
The provider must ensure the service follows the guidance on notification reporting to the Care Inspectorate.
Requirements
Number of requirements: 0
Recommendations
Number of recommendations: 1
1. The following recommendation was made by a complaints inspector following a complaint made to the Care
Inspectorate:The manager needs to ensure clear information is provided for people who live at the service.
National Care Standards: Housing Support Service, Standard 1: Informing and Deciding and Standard 6: Choice
and Communication and Standard 8: Expressing your views.
The service has a brochure that outlines the aims, opportunities and supports provided by the sheltered housing
service. However, this brochure does not clarify the limitations to accessing communal areas outwith the
sheltered housing wardens core hours, and this is particularly important for complexes where there is no interconnecting corridor between accommodation and communal areas. This needs clarified in any service
documentation as the lack of clarity around this issue was the source of the partially upheld complaint.
This recommendation has not been met.
Complaints
One complaint was partially upheld. See recommendation 1 in findings for further information. Please see Care
Inspectorate website (www.careinspectorate.com) for details of complaints about the service which have been
upheld.
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Inspection report
Inspection and grading history
Date
Type
Gradings
1 Jun 2015
Unannounced
Care and support
Environment
Staffing
Management and leadership
5 - Very good
Not assessed
5 - Very good
5 - Very good
8 Jul 2013
Announced (short notice)
Care and support
Environment
Staffing
Management and leadership
5 - Very good
Not assessed
5 - Very good
5 - Very good
30 Sep 2010
Announced
Care and support
Environment
Staffing
Management and leadership
5 - Very good
Not assessed
4 - Good
4 - Good
15 Sep 2009
Announced
Care and support
Environment
Staffing
Management and leadership
4 - Good
Not assessed
3 - Adequate
3 - Adequate
27 Aug 2008
Announced
Care and support
Environment
Staffing
Management and leadership
4 - Good
Not assessed
3 - Adequate
3 - Adequate
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Inspection report
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.
Please get in touch with us if you would like more information or have any concerns about a care service.
You can also read more about our work online at www.careinspectorate.com
Contact us
Care Inspectorate
Compass House
11 Riverside Drive
Dundee
DD1 4NY
[email protected]
0345 600 9527
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Other languages and formats
This report is available in other languages and formats on request.
Tha am foillseachadh seo ri fhaighinn ann an cruthannan is cànain eile ma nithear iarrtas.
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