Green Trees Care Home

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 requires improvement. At this assessment, the rating is 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.

The registered manager told us that learning of incidents was shared with staff during meetings to ensure further learning and similar incidents were reduced in the future. Staff spoken with during this assessment confirmed this. A member of staff told us, “We have regular handover and team meetings. The manager will always discuss with us any incidents and seeks our opinions how we can reduce them form happening in the future.”

The provider worked with people and relevant professionals to maintain safe systems of care. People’s needs were assessed before they began using the service, and information was shared appropriately when their needs changed or they moved between services. Staff liaised with healthcare professionals and followed their guidance to support safe and consistent care.

They understood how to escalate concerns when additional support was required. This helped reduce the risk of delays, gaps or disruption in people’s care. One person said: “The staff helped me to settle in.”

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.

Staff told us that they had received training in safeguarding adults from harm and abuse during their induction and annually to ensure their knowledge was still in line with good practice. One member of staff told us, “I had safeguarding training and would report anything I see to the manager.”

We observed staff supporting people and saw that they ensured people were safe and protected when going about their daily activities.

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.

We saw in records that areas of risk have been assessed and plans to manage such risks were in place. Staff told us, “I ensure people are safe from falls and dehydration.” We observed during our inspection, that staff were available to support people safely who were at risk of falls.

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 ensured that necessary checks within the environment were carried out regularly, these included fire safety checks, electrical safety checks and gas safety checks. We observed the home to be clean and free from clutter enabling people to access the home safely and freely.

One person said: “I feel safe here. I have a call bell by my bed, and someone checks on me during the night.”

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.

Staff told us that enough staff were available to support people and spent quality time with people. One member of staff said, “Since [registered manager] started we have one additional member of staff. Since this happened, we are less rushed and can spend time with people.” We observed staff responding quickly when people required support and assistance.

The new registered manager had reviewed staffing needs and introduced senior team leaders and team leaders which ensured regular management oversight and support to staff when needed.

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 told us sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) was always available. We observed staff wearing gloves and changing them between care tasks. We also observed regular hand washing between tasks. This ensured the risk of spreading infections was minimised.

The home appeared clean and free of offensive odours and a housekeeping team was available daily to clean communal areas and people’s rooms. One housekeeper told us, “We have cleaners 7 days a week and clean all areas of the home. This also includes deep cleaning of people’s rooms.”

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.

We observed staff supporting people with their medicines, this was done safely. Staff used the electronic medicines system, recorded clearly once medicines were administered and explained to people what the medicines were for and asked for their consent if they were happy to take their medicines.

The electronic medicines system provided regular updates to the registered manager if medicines had been administered which was monitored weekly. Guidance for medicines as and when required (PRN) and covert medicines were available to ensure that these medicines were safely administered. Staff had update training in the safe administration of medicines, and their competency was assessed annually by the registered manager.

Medicines were stored safely and regular temperature checks of these storage facilities were carried to ensure medicines were kept safe and within manufacturers guidelines.