Roundhey Care

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 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.

People and staff were encouraged and supported to raise concerns about risks to safety. They said the registered manager was responsive to any concerns raised. Staff told us, “Yes, it is clear and I can see the notes that other carers have written. I feel supported to raise concerns” and “[Managers] are responsive. We always report and we are encouraged to do so. Yesterday someone had fallen out of bed, and I reported it straight away.”

Policies and processes helped to ensure the right actions were taken in response to accidents and incidents. This included contacting family and the local safeguarding team when required.

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.

New referrals were assessed face to face to ensure people’s needs could be met. Families felt involved and were happy with the communication. They told us, “There seems to be a good rapport between [relative] and the carers. They can have a laugh and a joke with [relative]. My sister and I have also managed to connect well with the carers and the manager.”

Information in care plans could be easily shared with other health and social care professionals when required to help support continuity of care. Staff told us communication within the team was effective to ensure any changes to people’s needs were shared.

Referrals were made to other health and social care professionals as required. People told us, “The carers do keep an eye on me to ascertain if I am okay. If they are worried they will contact my [relative] and [relative] will then get onto the GP. I have been unwell over the last couple of days, in fact today is the first day I have got out of bed. The carers were supportive when I told them I felt unwell and wanted to stay in bed. They also got onto my [relative] and the GP called to see me.”

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 their relatives felt safe using the service. They told us, “I feel very safe with the carers I have. They are a small group of ladies, and they will point out any trip hazards, for example, and if something needs to be changed” and “My [relative] would tell us if [relative] was unhappy with any of the carers, but [relative] likes them all. We chose this agency after scrutinising the manager and carers, checked their reviews and the whole team came across brilliant. They use the key safe and when I have checked they have always scrambled the code. They make sure any doors to the outside are closed and locked so no one can just walk in.”

Staff received safeguarding training and understood their safeguarding responsibilities when we spoke with them. No concerns were reported about people's safety during the assessment.

Systems for identifying and reporting safeguarding concerns were effective. Relevant bodies such as the council safeguarding team were notified of key incidents as required.

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 and their families were positive about the care they received. We received no concerns about the unsafe management of risk.

Care records contained a range of generic and individualised risk assessments including falls risk assessments and environmental risk assessments. The level of risk involved in people’s care was relatively low. Risks were regularly reviewed and guidance was provided in care plans to help staff manage these risks.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

Staff had completed training in relation to maintaining a safe environment. This included; fire safety awareness, moving and handling and health and safety.

An assessment of the environmental risks within each home was completed. We requested improvements were made to the assessment to include more detail for fire safety. This was completed during the assessment.

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 were very positive about the support they received from staff. They told us, “The staff are well trained to meet my needs. I have difficulty walking and use a walker around the house and a wheelchair if I am going outside. I have not experienced any falls when the carers are with me, and they will ensure there is nothing left in the way of me getting about the house” and “The carers are all very experienced and well trained.”

Staff were very positive about the support and supervision they received. They told us, “There has been a mixture of online training, shadowing – it prepares you quite well. No gaps. I felt confident” and “I’ve received in depth training by members that have been here for years, did that for 2-3 weeks until I felt comfortable with the clients and they felt comfortable with me.”

The mandatory training requirement on learning disabilities and autism had not been met. The Health and Care Act 2022 introduced a requirement that all CQC registered service providers must ensure their staff have training on learning disability and autism, including how to interact appropriately with autistic people and people with a learning disability. Training was arranged during the assessment.

Staff were recruited safely and had the appropriate pre-employment checks in place before employment commenced.

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.

People were supported by staff who had received training in infection prevention and control. The staff we spoke with understood their responsibilities.

We received no concerns about infection, prevention and control from people and their families. They told us, “I have personally witnessed the carers washing their hands wearing aprons and gloves. If a carer has a cold, they use a mask” and “They do. The house is always clean; nothing spilt on bathroom floor that [relative] could slip on.”

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences.

Medicines were managed safely. People were supported by staff who followed systems and processes to prescribe, administer, record and store medicines safely. Staff who administered medicines had been trained to do so and regular competency checks were completed to ensure procedures were followed.