Archived: Via - Harrow

Updated 2 February 2023

WDP Harrow provides advice, support and treatment to adults and families with drug and alcohol problems in Harrow. It is commissioned by the London Borough of Harrow. This is a recovery service delivered by WDP Harrow in partnership with other community organisations. The service came into being on 31 January 2017. The service provides abstinence-based therapy, access to prescribing and community detoxification, group work, and support for family and carers. The service currently supports about 450 clients.

The service had expanded and was receiving more referrals. The managers were in the process of securing new building facilities to accommodate the staff and clients.

WDP Harrow is registered to carry out treatment of disease, disorder or injury. There is a Registered Manager in post. This is the second time that the service has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission. We first inspected this service in May 2018, and we did not rate them at the time.

What people who use the service say

We gathered feedback from 8 clients who used the service. Clients said staff treated them well and behaved kindly. Clients described it as a friendly, welcoming place. One client said they treat them like ‘human beings.’ Another said that the staff support is invaluable. A third client said that the staff are good at listening, were non-judgmental and very encouraging in their recovery journey. A client described how the doctor ‘saved their life’ and went above and beyond.

Clients reported that staff explained to them their treatment plan, especially their medicines. One client stated that staff explained their dosage of medicines and the plans to decrease this over time. All clients reported that staff obtained their consent about whether they wanted their family involved in their care and treatment.

One client reported that staff had referred them to the local mental health team for trauma therapy and this was helping. Another client described how staff had ‘fast tracked’ them into detoxification treatment.

Seven clients reported that they were involved in the planning of their care and treatment. Two clients reported they were given a copy of their care plan and a further two clients reported they knew about their care plan if they wanted a copy.

Three clients reported that they had given feedback about the service. This feedback was via the monthly service user’s forum or through the service user feedback forms. The service had a device set up in the waiting area for clients to give real time feedback. Between January – October 2022 363 clients had provided feedback this way whilst attending their appointment. Fifty percent of these clients said they had received excellent care on their visit. Most of the negative feedback was regarding waiting times and better communication when appointments were running late. Some clients fed back that they would like refreshments, including hot drinks and snacks in the waiting area. The service already provided hot drinks to clients waiting. The service was planning to expand the Capital Card scheme by installing a ‘grab and go’ cabinet, which will contain non-perishable food. The clients would be able to redeem this food with their capital card points.

Updated 2 February 2023

WDP Harrow is a community-based drug alcohol service. This is the second time that the service has been inspected by the Care Quality Commission. We first inspected this service in May 2018 but did not rate them at the time.

We rated this service as good because:

• The service provided safe care. The number of clients on the caseload of the team was not too high to prevent staff from giving each client the time they needed. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the risks associated with substance misuse and individual client risks. Staff responded promptly to any sudden deterioration in a client's health. Staff assessed clients physical and mental health prior to commencing any detoxification treatment.
• Staff developed holistic, recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment. They provided a range of treatments suitable for clients needing treatment for substance misuse and in line with national guidance about best practice.
• The team had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of clients receiving treatment for drug and alcohol misuse. Managers ensured that these staff received training, supervision and appraisal. Staff worked well together as a multidisciplinary team and relevant services outside the organisation. Staff effectively supported clients to access a local hepatitis C clinic to ensure early detection and treatment of the virus. The service had a partnership with the local hepatology team, whereby clinicians offered liver function testing and then screened clients for referral into the hepatology pathway.
• Staff treated clients with compassion and kindness and understood the individual needs of clients. They actively involved clients in decisions and care planning. Clients fed back positively about the staff and the service they received. The service had strengthened the Capital Card Scheme, which provided rewards to help motivate clients to attend health and wellbeing appointments.
• The service was easy to access. Staff planned and managed discharge well and had alternative pathways for people whose needs it could not meet. Staff responded to high risk clients by effectively transferring them to inpatient detoxification services.
• The service aimed to support people in harder to reach communities through participating in community events and online conferences. The service recognised some clients were vulnerable and isolated when the service was closed. Therefore, it had subcontracted with another local organisation to provide safe weekend activities.
• The service was well led, and the governance processes ensured that its services ran smoothly. Staff felt respected, supported and valued by colleagues and managers. The governance structure, information from audits and senior management meetings, and the quality of the service improvement projects demonstrated that leaders understood the needs of the client group and delivered services to meet them.

However:

• Client’s records were not always kept up-to-date. Staff did not always ensure they uploaded the clients’ medicines record from the GP before they commenced treatment.
• Whilst governance processes operated effectively at team level, improvements were still needed. Audits had not included whether GP summary letters were uploaded onto the system when they were received in a timely way.

Updated 2 February 2023

Updated 14 May 2018

See overall summary.