Stockport Council’s substance misuse team gets CQC report boost

The MOSAIC Drug and Alcohol service at Stockport Council has been described as “going above and beyond” and “tenacious until there was an outcome for the client”, in a report by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The specialist service, which prevents and reduces substance-related harm and promotes recovery for young people and families, was rated as Good with Outstanding features in the report published by inspectors.

The review, which was carried out in December last year, included a combination of an inspection visit and a review of all information available to Care Quality Commission (CQC) including information from patients, the public and other organisations. The report also found that:

• Staff treated clients with compassion and kindness, and understood the individual needs of clients. They actively involved clients in decisions and care planning. Feedback from clients, families and stakeholders was overwhelmingly positive.

• The service was easy to access, with no waiting list for the service. Staff planned and managed discharge well. MOSAIC provided support to the whole family in a variety of innovative approaches including group work, one to one support, support to children whose parents misuse substances, support to parents whose children misuse substances.

• The service provided safe care. The premises where clients were seen were safe and clean. The number of clients on the caseload of the teams, and of individual members of staff, was not too high to prevent staff from giving each client the time they needed. Staff assessed and managed risk well and followed good practice with respect to safeguarding.

• Staff developed recovery-oriented care plans informed by a comprehensive assessment. They provided a range of treatments suitable to the needs of the clients and in line with national guidance about best practice. Staff engaged in clinical audit to evaluate the quality of care they provided.

• The teams included or had access to the full range of specialists required to meet the needs of clients under their care. Managers ensured that these staff received training, supervision and appraisal. Staff worked well together as a multidisciplinary team and relevant services outside the organisation. The service was well led, and the governance processes ensured that its procedures ran smoothly.

• Parents told us that MOSAIC staff went above and beyond, advocating to other services on behalf of their child, chasing up actions that other services had not addressed and were tenacious until there was an outcome for the client.

Cllr Colin Foster, Cabinet Member for Children, Family Services and Education at Stockport Council, said:

“I’m delighted that the MOSAIC service has had such a positive inspection report. This reflects the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in delivering this vital service.

This report findings show that – even against the backdrop of a pandemic which has provided monumental challenges – young people in our borough will get the support and care they require in this area.”

For more information about MOSAIC services please visit the MOSAIC Drug and Alcohol Services webpage. You can also find the full report by visiting the CQC website.