Useful Information for placing Authorities.

Frequently Asked Questions;

We work with many Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and Local Authorities across the region and have established very positive rapports with Care Managers and Commissioners alike. We have compiled a list of frequently asked questions relating to our services to help you in your search for an appropriate placement. 

Please call us on 01226 755070 with any specific questions you may have.

How do I make a referral?

Please contact our Director of Care services on 01226 755070 to discuss your service user’s individual requirements. Alternatively you can email referrals@communityplaces.co.uk  and we will contact you.

Do you take emergency or respite referrals?

Yes, if we have a suitable vacancy in one of our services we can accommodate an emergency placement.

Respite referrals are usually allocated a certain number of nights respite per year by their Social Worker or Care Manager.  This number of nights will be determined by an assessment of the service user and carer’s needs.

Respite is arranged on a regular or occasional basis throughout the year.

How do you manage behaviours that may challenge?

All our staff are MAV (Management of Aggression and Violence) trained and we as an organisation work closely with service staff and service users to develop person-centred strategies to manage behaviour that may challenge. We pride ourselves in identifying the most appropriate and beneficial methods of communication to reduce and alleviate anxieties and upset.

What training do your staff receive?

All new members of staff are enrolled on a 2 week intensive induction programme when they start their role, covering a wide range of directly relevant topics including health and safety, first aid, safeguarding, care certificare and MAV training.  Continuing staff development is also strongly emphasised. We provide regular supervision and appraisals to ensure that staffs skills and knowledge remain current and relevant to their work.   We support and recognise people’s desire to learn and develop within their roles and each staff member has a personal development plan.  We have a training co-ordinator who ensures all training is provided and completed.

What is your core staffing ratio?

Our core staffing ratio is one member of staff to each service user and this can be tailored to suit individual needs.

Do you have waking night staff or sleep-ins?

We have staff who awake all through the night to support people if they need it.

Do you support service users who are detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (Amended 2007)?

No. As a residential provider we are unable to accept service users who are detained under the Mental Health Act. We can take service users on a Community Treatment Order (CTO) or we can apply to use Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

How many beds do your services have?

We have 14 beds in our service in Great Houghton and 2 beds in our bungalow close by. We also have 2 beds in our bungalow in Ryhill. Our new provision in Sprotbrough has 12 beds in the main building and 4, one bed self contained apartments, therefore totally 16 altogether.

We recognise that environment plays a key role of the progression of our service users and we invest continuously in maintaining and developing our environments in accordance with the needs of our service users, allowing them to move on to more independent living as quickly as possible.

What community activities do you have nearby?

All services are situated close to city, town or village centres and all have good transport links, both to other towns and to the motorway network. Services are situated within easy reach of local community resources such as advocacy services, healthy lifestyles groups, fitness centres, local colleges and employment support services; all such links can be developed whilst at Community Places and continued on leaving our services, enabling our service users to leave us with a good community support network.

Do you have a multidisciplinary team (MDT)?

We do not have our own multidisciplinary teams in-house however we work in partnership with local community teams to ensure each service user receives the treatment and/or service they require.

Can I and the service user visit your services before confirming a placement?

As part of our placement process, we would visit the service user in their current placement or home, carry out our extensive assessment (free of charge) and if we felt we could offer the person a placement we would actively encourage them to visit us. We would also welcome visits from family members and staff members at the service user’s current placement in order to gain as much important information about the person as possible. We could then ascertain if we were able to provide the very best service for that person.

Can my service user bring their own furniture?

All of our bedrooms and communal areas are furnished to a very high standard but if service users wish to bring certain items of furniture with them, and there is space to do so then this is possible. This can be discussed in more detail when visiting the service.

Where can I see your Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection reports?

Our CQC rating and report can be seen on our website. Please visit www.communityplaces.co.uk for more information. Alternatively, you can search for the service on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.