Wansbeck 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 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.

The provider had relevant and appropriate processes in place for investigating and assessing accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns. There was evidence of systems in place to review and reflect findings and outcomes. Where necessary changes to care were applied and lessons learned documented and shared with the staff team.

The provider worked closely with people, healthcare partners and education 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.

People’s needs were assessed prior to moving to the home to ensure the service could meet their individual care and support needs in a safe and dignified manner. People had hospital passports in place. Hospital passports are used to share crucial information with other services, such as hospitals, in the event of a person being admitted. A staff member said “It is really important that when residents go into hospital that they get the right care, so we help communicate what their needs are etc.” Health and social care professionals spoke positively about the processes in place to support people with safe transitions between services. One professional said, “The team at Wansbeck has been responsive overall, providing relevant documentation when requested and engaging appropriately with professionals involved.”

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 living at Wansbeck House had up to date paperwork in place to protect and support them from the risk of harm. Staff had received training to support them to confidently identify and report safeguarding concerns so people in their care remained safe. Staff shared they would escalate concerns, if necessary. One staff member commented, “I would report it to the council (social care) or even to yourself (CQC).”.

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.

Person centred risk assessments were in place, tailored to individuals’ personal needs. People were observed being offered choices and were encouraged to participate in tasks and activities which were important to them. One person was supported using the computer to visually show a choice of activities. They were then asked how they wanted to travel to the activity, again offered choices of walking, public transport or using a vehicle. Another person was encouraged to carry their own dinner plate safely, to where they wanted to sit and eat their meal.

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

There was a maintenance and servicing schedule for equipment used within the home. There were risk assessments in place for the safe and effective use of any moving and handling equipment, which the staff were appropriately trained to use so they could deliver safe care.

There were systems in place to date and label edible items, although during our inspection this was not routinely being implemented by all staff. Appropriate food storage was also highlighted as a concern as some foods were stored inappropriately. This issue was addressed with the senior management on site and immediately rectified during our inspection.

During our inspection we observed the installation of new fire doors being fitted to ensure compliance with fire regulations and ensure people living in Wansbeck house remained safe.

Some areas of the home required remedial maintenance where the ceiling tiles were either missing or at risk of falling. When highlighted to the management team, this was addressed and steps taken to rectify the issues.

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.

All staff employed at the service had the required recruitment checks in place. New staff at the service had appropriate experience and training to help make recruitment safer.

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 home was clean and odour free. Appropriate processes and practices were in place to protect people, staff and visitors from the risk of infection.

Care staff would support with any additional cleaning as and when it arose. The service had provisions of PPE and cleaning materials available for staff to access and use.

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 in a temperature controlled locked room. Senior staff were responsible for dispensing medication and had received appropriate training. Daily records were completed and arrangements in place for the safe return and disposal of unused medicines. During our inspection we observed staff checking their records and updating these due to a change in a person’s prescribed dose.

The service works closely with the local medicines’ optimisation team and had good working relationships with the local pharmacist. One professional said “Generally, the medicine management systems at Wansbeck House are in good order, with the staff having good processes in place. The team also appear to have a good relationship with the pharmacist based at the GP practice as well as their local community pharmacy, ensuring that changes to medicine regimens and supplies are communicated across these interfaces.”