Care Quality Commission identifies Intensive Interaction as an 'Outstanding' care practice!

The Care Quality Commission (the quasi-governmental body charged with inspecting and regulating the quality of health and social care services here in England) has recently inspected our trust's Specialised Supported Living Service - an NHS managed and staffed residential service here in Leeds for people with severe or profound learning difficulties. In their report findings they stated that:

Is the service effective? Rating = 'Good'!
Since the last inspection, the registered manager had developed champions in areas such as PBS, Makaton, postural management and Intensive Interaction ... A member of staff told us about the training they had received around Intensive Interaction. They said, "I have not only seen our residents benefit from us knowing about this but it has enabled me to be more confident. I feel it has brought me out of my shell. I see that I am part of the communication process and that I need to communicate back to people. This was the best training I have ever done*."  

(*GF- my underlining, not theirs; and there's a box of chocolates waiting in my office for the, as yet unidentified staff member who said that!) 

Is the service caring? Rating = 'Outstanding'!
People and their relatives told us that staff delivered extremely person centred care and support ... Staff had exceptional knowledge about people's preferred communication ... A support manager told us, "To work with the people we work with, with such profound multiple needs, Intensive Interaction is required to build up positive working relationships." The provider had ensured staff had received training in specialised communication such as Intensive Interaction ... The benefits of staff having knowledge and using their skills meant people were able to express themselves, be involved and direct their own care and support.

So congratulations must go to:

a) Gill Galea (Operational manager) and her 'outstandingly' caring staff team for demonstrating 'outstanding' levels of care, evidenced to the CQC inspectors through their (best ever!) training in and use of Intensive Interaction; apparently this being identified on the first day of the inspection by one of the inspectors asking: "So, where will we see Intensive Interaction in action?"

b) The CQC and their team of inspectors for clearly identifying Intensive Interaction as one of the main means through which an effective and outstandingly caring service is enacted (and therefore evidenced) on a day by day basis - which it self-evidently is.

This also reminded me of the work of Debbie Whiting, an Intensive Interaction coordinator working for the Frances Taylor Foundation (and winner of our 2016 'Intensive Interaction Practitioner of the Year'), whose service also received an 'Outstanding' rating from CQC for its care, evidenced via the use of Intensive Interaction. CQC said of their St Joseph's service:

'Everyone we spoke with, without exception, commented on the caring nature of staff. One relative said, "They are an absolute joy." Another said, "They are just amazing." ... All staff had adopted an ethos of 'Intensive Interaction' which shaped the care delivered at the home ... Staff were passionate about this and we saw from our observations that it meant a lot to people. People were smiling and laughing and looked genuinely cheerful and happy. We saw examples of this interaction taking place, and could see what it meant to the people living at the home.'

So perhaps the secret is finally out (I know its not really a secret, I am only saying that for dramatic/literary effect) - if you want to be judged by CQC as  an 'outstanding' residential service for people with severe or profound learning difficulties ... them show them the Intensive Interaction!