Archived: Octavia Housing - Leonora House

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 procedure to investigate and review any incidents, accidents and complaints.
A record of an incident was completed which included details on who was involved and where it happened. The incident record was reviewed by the registered manager and any required actions were identified to reduce possible future risk. The registered manager explained the actions identified were discussed with staff at team meetings and handovers. If the person was referred to an external professional such as a physiotherapist or pharmacist, it was recorded on the incident form. Staff confirmed the registered manager discussed the actions following an incident. A staff member told us, “If there is an incident the manager informs us about it, they tell us about the actions. We have falls bracelet alarms which send alerts to us if someone falls.” The accident and incident procedure identified the responsibilities of each staff member role in relation to the reporting and investigation of concerns.

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 registered manager explained a waiting list was managed by the local authority for people who could benefit from moving into the service. The person was supported to view the property and discuss their care needs. If the person did not have any family or friends to support the move, the local authority assists with furnishing the property. When the person moved into the service the staff supported the person to register with the pharmacy and change GP if required. The provider worked with a range of health and social care professionals to ensure people could access the support they required for their health and wellbeing.

The provider had a process for the investigation and review of any concerns that are raised in relation to the care provided. People told us they felt safe when they received care from the staff.
Staff told us they had completed safeguarding adults training, and they were able to show they understood the importance of protect people who could be at risk of abuse or neglect. A staff member commented, “Safeguarding is ensuring service users are kept safe. If there are any concerns, we know the processes to report concerns to keep the residents as safe as possible.”
The registered manager confirmed there had been no recent safeguarding concerns raised. The provider had a safeguarding adults policy which provided staff with guidance on how to raise a concern including the contact telephone number for the provider’s customer services team and the email address for the Octavia Housing safeguarding champions. There was also guidance for staff on contacting the local authority safeguarding team.
A social care professional told us, “The scheme manager is responsive to queries from adult social care. I have observed good communication with Leonora House when there have been incidents reported.” They explained that if a concern was raised with them, additional action was not usually required as the provider “has effectively communicated details of the incident, how they dealt with the matters raised and the appropriate or necessary actions taken to remove and reduce risk.”

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 said they felt safe when they received support from staff. This was confirmed by relatives who felt their family members received care which was safe and met their needs. Risk management plans had been developed for a range of risks including personal safety, money management, mental health and physical health. The registered manager explained they would discuss any possible risks that were indicated during the initial needs assessment. They said that if a person was identified as having a history of falls, they would check to see if the person had been referred to a falls clinic. They would work with the person and their family to identify a reason for the falls and develop a risk management plan. People were able to use a falls detection alarm on their wrist to alert staff if they were to experience a fall.

The provider identified and controlled potential risks within the person’s home environment. The registered manager explained risk assessments were completed in relation to the person home which included a fire risk assessment. A personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP) was completed for each person providing staff with guidance on how to support the person in case of an emergency.

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 told us they were visited by the same staff who they knew and understood their care needs. Relatives told us staff stayed for the full time of the visit, and they felt the staff had the appropriate training to meet their family member’s care needs. A relative said, “They always stay as long as they should, and they are well trained and have the skills needed for [family member’s] care. [Family member] has regular carers.” Staff told us they felt there were enough staff on duty to support people’s needs. The provider had a recruitment procedure which meant they could appoint staff with the appropriate skills for the role. The recruitment procedure reviewed an applicant’s employment history, their right to work in the United Kingdon and a criminal record check. The registered manager told us new staff completed an induction, met the people receiving support and complete a range of training courses including the care certificate. A member of the housekeeping team confirmed they had completed the same training courses as the staff members who provide care for people. The care certificate is a nationally recognised set of standards that gives new staff to care an introduction to their roles and responsibilities. Staff were supported through daily handovers, regular supervision and team meetings.

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. The provider had a procedure for the management of infection prevention and control. Staff confirmed they had completed infection control training and had access to enough personal protective equipment (PPE) with a staff member saying, “The housekeeping team is very focused on PPE stock management.” A relative said, “As far as I know they wear PPE and wash hands regularly.” The registered manager confirmed they carried out regular checks on staff to ensure they followed infection control best practice. An external professional told us, “Leonora House maintains close collaboration with the council on IPC (Infection Prevention and Control) to ensure a safe environment through detailed audits and initiatives like the recent World Hygiene Day.”

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 confirmed staff supported them with their medicines and this was confirmed by relatives. People’s care plans included a medication risk assessment to indicate if the person could manage their own medicines or needed support and a consent for staff to administer medicines. There was also a list of the person’s prescribed medicines and how they should be administered. Staff completed a medicines administration record (MAR) when they supported people with their prescribed medicines. The MAR included information on the person, the GP, any allergies, possible side effects of the medicine, the dosage and when it should be administered. If a person had been prescribed a medicine to be administered as and when required (PRN) there was guidance for staff to support them to administer the medicine safely. Staff confirmed they had completed training on the administration of medicines and they felt confident when providing this support. The registered manager confirmed staff completed a medicine competency assessment to monitor their understanding of best practice. Regular audits were carried out on the medicines records with actions implements for any issues identified.