Bower Grange Residential Care Home Also known as http://crmlive/epublicsector_oui_enu/start.swe?SWECmd=GotoView&SWEView=HC+Account+Dashboard+View&SWE

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.

When incidents or accidents occurred,they were reviewed to identify any patterns or trends. Actions identified in these reviews were carried out in a timely manner.

We saw when external professionals made recommendations to improve the service, these were completed promptly.For example, a fire risk assessment had identified improvements werer equired to fire safety and we saw that these had been implemented in a timely way.

The registered manager maintained oversight of the service through regular monitoring and review of all incidents.

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.

Before anyone moved into the service, members of the staff team carried out a pre-admission assessment. These assessments ensured the provider could meet the person’s needs and support a positive transition to the service from their previous residence.

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.

All staff had completed training in safeguarding, and this was refreshed on an annual basis. Staff were aware of the providers safeguarding policy and procedures and where to access the policy if needed. During our assessment, staff were able to describe different types of abuse and explained how they would raise the concerns and who to.

Staff told us they would feel comfortable speaking to the management team about any concerns they may have. This was echoed by people and their relatives who felt confident raising concerns and trusted the management team to act on them.

Where safeguarding incidents had been identified, the registered manager had investigated the incident internally and documented actions taken. Records showed safeguarding concerns were escalated without delay to relevant authorities, including the local safeguarding team and the Care Quality Commission.

Information about how to report safeguarding concerns was displayed around the home.

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 had systems in place to identify, assess, and manage risks associated with people’s care and support. Risk assessments were consistent and clear and the guidance staff should take to mitigate risks was accurately recorded. There was specific, in date, risk assessments in people’s care plans, such as for moving and handling and medicines, which staff could readily access.

We saw people or their relatives were consulted about how they wished their safety to be managed.

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 registered manager ensured environmental safety was effectively managed. The service had an allocated maintenance person who oversaw the environmental safety of the service. We saw completed records of fire safety, legionella checks, and electrical checks were completed on a regular basis. Equipment used by people including wheelchairs, beds and hoisting equipment were also checked regularly. Staff also raised any issues they with the maintenance person and they were rectified as quickly as possible.

Some areas of the home looked tired and in need of refurbishment. This did not impact on people, and the registered manager was aware of this and had a plan to address this, which had already commenced. One family member told us, “It may be an older building, but the staff ensure that it has a 'homely' feel for all their residents.”

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.

People and relatives consistently said there was enough staff at the home. One relative said “If my relative needs help, they never have to wait long”

Staff were recruited safely in line with the provider’s policy and procedure.

The provider maintained records of staff training and these showed staff were provided with comprehensive training including for specific conditions such as diabetes and dementia. Where required this training was refreshed within the recommended timescales.

People, their families and professionals that worked with the service consistently praised the quality of the staff at the home. One professional said, “I have observed extremely impressive care and support provided by all staff at Bower Grange towards their residents. The staff also provide amazing support to their resident’s family/visitors and their own staff -it has a real 'family' feeling there and the staff go above and beyond.”

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.

We observed the environment was cleaned throughout the day of our assessment, including people’s bedrooms and communal areas. We observed staff used and had access to supplies of personal protective equipment to help prevent and control the spread of infection. The provider had a policy for staff to follow in relation controlling the spread of infection and we observed staff following it during our visit. A family member told us, “I can arrive anytime and the lounge, dining room and their bedroom are always clean tidy.”

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.

Medicines were stored, managed and administered in line with the provider’s policy and procedure and best practice guidance. When medicines were given on an ‘as required’ basis, records were maintained of why they had been given and their effectiveness monitored.

People received their medicines from trained staff whose competency to continue to follow safe medicine practices was regularly reviewed.

Medicines audits and checks were regularly completed. This ensured timely action was taken to address any shortfalls and enabled opportunities for learning and continuous improvement to be recognised and acted upon.