Change Grow Live - Brighton & Hove

Change Grow Live – Brighton & Hove provides specialist community treatment and support for adults affected by substance misuse who live in Brighton and Hove.

We rated it as good because:

• Staff went above and beyond to support, inform and involve families or carers. The Families and Carers Team had a programme delivered by the service which supported individuals affected by someone suffering with addiction(s). They provide signposting, advice and guidance, one to one counselling, and psychosocial intervention in order to support these individuals who are indirectly impacted by substance misuse.
• The service was in discussion with the local police force to hold naloxone pens whilst on patrol. The service was setting up five needle exchange dispensers across the city.
• People could access services and appointments in a way and at a time that suited them. The service ensured accessibility to the service for all clients and arranged taxis or conducted home visits for those clients who had difficulty accessing the service. The service ran groups on Thursday evenings and ran assessments on Saturday mornings for those in work or who could not attend at any other time.
• Staff from different disciplines worked together as a team to benefit clients. They supported each other to make sure clients had no gaps in their care. The team had strong, effective working relationships with other relevant teams within the organisation and were committed to working collaboratively with other relevant services outside the organisation to ensure joined up care for people who use services.
• Staff assessed and managed risks to clients and themselves well. They responded promptly to sudden deterioration in clients’ physical and mental health. Staff made clients aware of harm minimisation and the risks of continued substance misuse. Safety planning was an integral part of recovery plans.
• Staff completed comprehensive assessments with clients on accessing the service. They worked with clients to develop individual recovery plan and updated them as needed. Recovery plans reflected the assessed needs, were personalised, holistic and recovery oriented.
• Staff treated clients with compassion and kindness. Clients told us that staff treated them well and behaved kindly towards them. We observed staff engaging in a compassionate and non-judgemental manner with clients.
• Staff felt respected, supported and valued. They reported that the provider promoted equality and diversity in its day-to-day work and in providing opportunities for career progression. They felt able to raise concerns without fear of retribution.
• Leaders had the skills, knowledge and experience to perform their roles, had a good understanding of the services they managed, and were visible in the service and approachable for clients and staff. All staff we spoke with were complimentary about the leadership and support provided by the service manager and the deputy manager. Staff felt there was a strong and consistent management structure, who were emotionally supportive and genuinely cared about the wellbeing of staff as well as the service.

However:

• Most clients that we spoke to told us that they did not have a copy of their care plan.
• Staff had variable understanding of what to do if a client’s capacity to make decisions about their care might be impaired.
• We observed that conversations could be heard through the wall of the interview room located within the reception waiting area.