Classic Home Care Services Limited

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.
Incident records showed prompt action was taken following falls, medication errors, safeguarding concerns and a serious injury incident, with lessons identified around emergency response, medicines competency, environmental risk and escalation of changing needs.
 

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.
Care records showed risks were assessed in relation to self-neglect, medication, nutrition, falls, catheter care, pressure care, dementia, mental health and mobility, with guidance for staff and regular review. Staff worked with families, pharmacy services, GPs, emergency services, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and the local authority where needed. There was evidence of safe transition planning, including responding to hospital discharge, changes in mobility and increased care packages.
 

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.
The provider contacted relevant professionals, families and safeguarding services. All staff described the course of action they would take if anyone was being harmed or abused.
 

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.
Care plans reflected people’s preferences, routines, goals and support needs, including people’s wishes to remain at home, maintain independence, attend community activities and continue meaningful relationships. Families and representatives were involved where appropriate, including in decisions about care reviews, medication, nutrition, fluctuating risk and mental capacity arrangements. People and relatives said they felt safe, listened too and involved in their care planning.
 

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.
Care was delivered safely, environment risk assessment identified homes were clean and tidy, infection prevention arrangements were appropriate, medicines were checked correctly and records were up to date. One potential trip hazard had already been removed by showing staff took practical action to reduce environmental risk. Following a serious incident, the provider identified learning around reviewing safety, supervision and environmental risk assessments across the service.
 

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 described staff as kind, skilled, well trained and dependable, and said care workers arrived as planned and contacted families or the office when needed. Staff described regular training, supportive managers and rotas that were organised. Training records showed a broad programme covering safeguarding, moving and handling, medicines, infection prevention and control, dementia, autism, catheter care, stoma care, pressure care and equality. Recruitment records showed key checks were completed, but some files needed stronger evidence around medical fitness. The provider has since taken action to address this.
 

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.
Staff training records included infection control, infection control advanced, infection prevention and control, food safety, personal protective equipment and hand hygiene-related practice.
 

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.
Care records showed people’s medicines needs were assessed, medication administration visits were introduced where required, tablet counts and blood pressure monitoring were used, and pharmacy and GP details were recorded. The providers spot checks found medicines were checked and administered correctly, with medication administration records completed. Staff feedback referred to effective medication systems, including the introduction of electronic medication administration records and regular audits. Where medication errors occurred, the provider sought medical advice, monitored people, informed relatives.