Acomb Court

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

The service monitored accidents and incidents and could describe the actions taken in response. Managers planned improvements to flooring and equipment where risks had been identified, including replacing worn carpets and ordering additional stand aids. This had been addressed before the end of the assessment.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored.Staff made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services. Relatives told us they were involved in planning and felt reassured when there were changes in care.

Staff supported people across different floors and were visible in communal areas, which helped them respond when people needed support.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that.

Staff concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. People and relatives consistently told us they felt safe living at the home. Feedback included, “Coming here probably saved mums’ life because of the care and safety.” Staff used safe moving and handling techniques and responded to requests for help in a calm and reassuring way.

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

The provider involved people and relatives in day‑to‑day decisions about their care and safety, although involvement was not always fully recorded. Relatives described staff as professional and said there was a consistent approach that had led to marked improvements in the wellbeing of their family members. Staff encouraged people to ask for help and responded promptly when assistance was requested.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. The environment was generally clean, bright and homely. People and relatives told us they liked the home and felt comfortable and safe there. One relative said, They deliver an exemplary standard of care and safety."There was a need to ensure all portable electrical items had up‑to‑date safety checks as these were just out of date. The management team addressed this straightaway.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

Staff responded promptly when people needed assistance. People and relatives consistently described staff as attentive and hard working. A person said, “The staff have been well recruited, and they deliver an exemplary standard of care and safety.” Staff used safe moving and handling techniques. A small number of staff told us they would value more face‑to‑face training, and managers were considering how to strengthen training.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.

The home was clean and tidy with no unpleasant odours. Communal areas were bright, airy and homely. Staff offered hand wipes before meals and used safe food service practices, which helped reduce infection risks. Some flooring and furnishings required replacement and managers reported that carpets were scheduled to be renewed, which would further support infection prevention and control.

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened.

People told us they received their medicines safely and on time. People said they always recieved their medication on time. Staff understood people’s medicine needs and records showed medicines were administered as prescribed.

Medicines rooms were tidy and clean, and there were good staff interactions during medicines rounds. Thickeners were locked away when not in use. We gave feedback about some processes that needed to be slightly enhanced, and the management team addressed this immediately, although there had been no harm to people. This included ensuring topical creams were recorded at the time of application and medicines to be returned, were stored in fully tamperproof containers. New containers were going to be ordered.