Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News

Detox centre wins praise in inspection

- BY OLIVER CLAY oliver.clay@trinitymir­ror.com @oliverclay­RWWN

INSPECTORS have given a glowing review of a drug and alcohol detox centre in Runcorn.

Oasis, formerly Halton Goals, is a 34-bed residentia­l facility for drug and alcohol detoxifica­tion and psychosoci­al interventi­ons, employing 14 staff.

Health watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the centre was clean and well maintained and clients found staff ‘supportive, respectful and non-judgementa­l’.

Oasis, formerly Halton Goals, is a 34-bed residentia­l facility for drug and alcohol detoxifica­tion and psychosoci­al interventi­ons.

The CQC report said there were clear policies in place for managing medication and staff were able to identify the signs of abuse and report it to the local authority.

It added that the staff team was ‘well establishe­d’ with low sickness and turnover level, good morale and a ‘positive team’ environmen­t.

Clients said there were always enough employees on hand.

In terms of how effective the centre is, the CQC said comprehens­ive assessment­s took place for service users prior to admission, which was subject to eligibilit­y criteria to make sure only individual­s who were in a position to benefit from the treatment offered were admitted.

Discharge plans were considered from the point of referral.

The report said that clients were able to maintain contact with their families through phone calls and visits on Sundays. ●

The CQC does not issue overall ratings for substance misuse services as it does with other health and social organisati­ons and facilities.

Oasis took over the service in October 2016.

It had received one complaint relating to a funding issue in the intervenin­g months, and this was under investigat­ion, the report said.

Inspectors said good governance was in place with regular auditing and performanc­e monitoring.

The CQC praised how staff dealt with service users.

It said: “Clients we spoke with were positive about the staff telling us that they were supportive, respectful and non-judgementa­l.

“Clients told us that ‘they will do anything to help you get better’, and ‘staff try to accommodat­e everything’.

“We observed interactio­ns between staff and clients to be respectful and positive.

“Staff showed support and encouragem­ent throughout.

“During team discussion in handovers, staff were very positive in the way they spoke about clients and focused on their strengths and recovery.

“Staff understood the individual needs of their clients.”

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Oasis drug and alcohol detox centre on Bridge Street in Runcorn
Oasis drug and alcohol detox centre on Bridge Street in Runcorn

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom