Care Services

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 as good. At this assessment the rating has remained as good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (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.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

The provider worked with people to understand what being safe meant to them and how this could be achieved. Staff understood their safeguarding responsibilities, the different types of abuse, and the importance of reporting concerns to help keep people safe. People and their relatives told us they felt safe and well supported by the service. Although staff knowledge of current local authority safeguarding referral arrangements was not fully up to date, they were able to explain how they would access the correct information and report concerns appropriately. The provider recognised this as an area for improvement and committed to refreshing their knowledge of current safeguarding procedures.

The provider did not always work well with people to understand and manage risks. Whilst staff demonstrated an awareness of the actions to take following a fall, including contacting emergency services when required, one staff member told us they would assist a person from the floor if they felt able to do so. Although the staff member recognised this could place themselves and the person at risk and would not advise others to do the same, this did not reflect safe practice. As a result, the provider could not be fully assured staff would always provide care that was safe, supportive and enabled people to achieve positive outcomes. Whilst this represented a potential risk, we found no evidence that people had experienced harm as a result. The provider shared that they would review staff practice to ensure actions taken following a fall are handled in a safe way. People and their relatives spoke positively about the support provided and told us they felt safe and well cared for.

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 provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support and supervision. While supervision was not always formally documented and some training required updating, the provider had identified this and was taking action to address it. Staff worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

The provider was not administering medicines at the time of the assessment. They gave assurances on how they would make sure medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff understood the importance of involving people in planning their care and treatment, including when changes happened.