Cera Rotherham

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.

Everyone we spoke with said the team were open and honest with them if things went wrong. Accidents and incidents were recorded and logged appropriately. Analysis was used to learn lessons and make improvements in the service and this learning was shared with the staff team.

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. People’s care needs were assessed before they used the service and the staff had time to get to know them. The service worked with hospital discharge teams and other professionals to help make sure it was safe for people to return home after hospital stays.

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 and discrimination.

People’s feedback was positive. For instance, one person told us, ”I definitely feel very safe with the carers’ support. They are very friendly. There’s nothing I’ve asked them to do which is beyond them. I temporarily lost my regular carer over the last month, but the others are still good. I’m happy overall with the continuity of the carers I get.”

Any concerns and incidents were addressed appropriately and in a timely way by the management team and appropriately reported to relevant external parties. Staff had completed safeguarding training and the provider’s safeguarding policy guided staff about different types of abuse, and how to raise a concern to ensure people were protected. Staff told us they felt confident to raise concerns if they felt people were at risk.

People confirmed they had someone they trusted to talk to if they were worried or upset about something.

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.

Risks to people's health, safety and well-being were well managed. People's risk assessments were reviewed regularly, in response to their changing needs or after a significant event. Staff had completed a range of training to assist them in managing risk.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. People were supported in their own homes. Risk assessments were in place for people, their home and any equipment they used to enable them to mobilise, receive care and maintain their independence, such as hoists. Care plans included guidance on how staff should safely use equipment.

One person said, I’m feeling safe enough with the carers at present. The carers change from time to time. They do everything for me. I get on well and have a laugh with them. I have no cause to complain in any way.”

We saw that staff helped people to manage risks and involved people in decisions about risks in their life. People and their relatives confirmed this.

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. Overall, people told us staff were deployed effectively. One relative said, “The carers [my family member] gets have been looking after [my family member] for five years and [my family member] feels very safe with them.”

People told us care staff were kind and caring and were sufficiently well-trained to meet people's needs. For instance, 1 person said, “[Staff] definitely have the right training to more than cover my needs. They also job-shadow with new carers, which is really good.”

Staff were recruited safely. The provider completed pre-employment checks such as obtaining references and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. DBS checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. This information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

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

Staff supported people to maintain their home environment. One person said, “The carers will help me with all the domestics that I can’t aways do. They are my right hand. Their hygiene standards are also of top quality in my opinion.” Another person told us, “The hygiene standards are brilliant. [Staff] wear all the PPE.”

Staff told us they had received training in infection control and there were supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to use when providing care and support. The provider demonstrated good practice in relation to managing infections and keeping people safe.

The provider made sure medicines were given safely and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences.

People we spoke with were happy with the support they received from staff with their medicines. One person said, “I’m confident that [staff] know what they are doing, and they look well trained. They safely do my medication and I’m always compliant when taking them.” Another person told us, “I’ve used the service for around 6 months and not had and reason to complain in anyway. I self-medicate, but the carers support me with creams. I have a care plan. I’ve not seen it recently, but I feel it’s adapted and up to date because the care I get exactly meets my needs.”

There were medicines administration policy and procedures in place and people had clear medicines care plans, which included details of what medicines they were prescribed, when and why. Staff were trained in medicines administration, and their competence was checked. Staff used medicine administration records to showthe support they provided to people, and these were audited on a regular basis.