Ivolve Derbyshire Supported Living

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. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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.

People’s individual risks were identified in their care plans, which staff updated to reflect any learning identified from safety incidents. Any safety events were investigated and reported through the provider’s incident reporting system. Staff confirmed safety incidents were always reported. Incident reports were reviewed by the managers, and lessons learned to identify causes of incidents and how they might be prevented from recurring.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services.

The provider was aware of the risks to people across their care journeys and their approach to identifying and managing these risks was proactive and effective. For example, a person was being supported by the provider to request the removal of legal restrictions which had been previously placed upon them. The person had been supported to gain skills and confidence and were now wanting to move on with a reduced level of care support.There was an electronic care record system in place, which care staff had access to. This helped ensure care was provided in a planned and organised way.

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.

People were supported to understand safeguarding and what being safe meant to them. Staff confirmed they understood the provider’s systems, processes and practices to make sure people are protected from abuse and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. Managers and staff understood safeguarding and how to take appropriate action to keep people safe.

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.

People were informed about their individual risks and advised on how to keep themselves safe. People’s care plans demonstrated a balanced and proportionate approach to risk that respected any choices they made about their care. For example, a person who was supported to go swimming, their care plan included detailed guidance on how to support them to take part in that activity safely. Care plan audits demonstrated staff knew what they needed to do to reduce people’s risks to an acceptable level, but this was not easily evidenced in the provider’s risk audits. The provider told us they would ensure additional guidance and training would be provided to managers to support a more consistent approach. Managers told us their teams did not use any physical restraint techniques to support people who were distressed or anxious. They described how staff would instead use various de-escalation techniques, to help the person to regain their composure. Staff had received training in positive behavioural support techniques which involves understanding the behaviour of an individual. This was then used to develop specific tailored support which improves the quality of life for the person and others who are involved with them.

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 size, setting and design of each individual service aligned with the current best practice guidance for right support, right care, right culture to meet individuals’ needs. People were supported from any potential risks in the care environment and in the wider community. Any equipment used to provide safe care, was checked by staff prior to each use and professionally qualified people completed the necessary environmental and equipment checks. The provider had a health and safety policy in place which identified expectations of staff at all levels to maintain safety for themselves and of people using the service.

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.

There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, to provide safe, good quality care that met people’s individually assessed needs. The provider had robust and safe recruitment practices in place to make sure all staff, including agency staff, were suitably experienced, competent and able to carry out their roles. The provider maintained appropriate staffing levels and skill mix to meet the needs of the people who were receiving the regulated activity of personal care.

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

The service assessed and managed the potential risk of infection within communal settings. The provider had effective cleaning policies and procedures in place and people were encouraged where they could, to develop general life skills by completing some of the tasks themselves in their own rooms or flats. People and families had no concerns over the cleanliness or decor of the buildings. Many people had chosen to make their specific areas more personalised. Staff had access to a maintenance team if there were any issues within the properties.

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 were involved in assessing risks and making decisions around medicines and they were supported to be as independent as possible. People had individual medicine care plans in place which included details of the medicines they had been prescribed and the reasons why they were taking that medicine. This helped ensure care staff understood why they were supporting people to take their prescribed medicines.

Medicines were regularly assessed to ensure they were effective and any side effects minimised. We saw annual health checks had taken place, and any required actions in relation to health monitoring were completed. Guidance was in place for as or when required medicines (PRN) so it was clear, when to give a medicine, the maximum dose to be given and that the gap between prescribed doses followed. The outcomes of PRN medicines were assessed and recorded to ensure they were effective.The provider’s role in relation to medicines was clearly defined and described in relevant policies, procedures, and staff training. Current and relevant best practice and professional guidance about the management of medicines was followed.