A HEALTH service that provides care and treatment for people who are homeless or vulnerably housed has been given the stamp of approval from the industry watchdog.

The St John Ambulance’s homeless service (SJAHS), which operates in Brighton and Hastings, has been rated as good by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in July.

During the inspection, the CQC team toured mobile treatment facilities, visited a treatment centre in Hastings, checked through the service’s records and spoke to service users, volunteers, and a wide range of St John managers and local government officials.

Inspectors praised the service’s team for treating service users with “compassion and kindness”.

"Staff treated service users with compassion and kindness, respected their privacy and dignity, took account of their individual needs, and helped them understand their conditions," the report said.

"Leaders ran services well using reliable information systems and supported staff to develop their skills. Staff understood the service’s vision and values and how to apply them in their work. Staff felt respected, supported and valued.

"People said SJAHS gave them confidence, guidance and help to register with a GP because they did not have the confidence to do so.

"People said when they were unwell, they preferred to meet with staff at the service first before being signposted to other services.

“People said staff were non-judgemental, were very approachable and were good listeners.

"The service engaged well with the service users and the community to plan and manage services and all staff were committed to improving services continually."

Alexandra Taylor, head of community response operations at St John Ambulance, said she was “proud” of her team.

“I’m so proud of the team that continue to work so hard and brought about this fantastic result, which is a testament to the service,” she said.

“Particular thanks should go to the leadership team, the administration support team and of course, all the wonderful volunteers who are helping homeless people across Sussex.”

The service has been providing healthcare to homeless people in Sussex for over 20 years.

The service operates from a mobile treatment unit in both Brighton and Hastings and a community building in Hastings called the Seaview Centre.