FitzRoy Supported Living - Uckfield

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.

Staff were encouraged and supported to report any accidents or incidents. Managers supported a no blame culture that encouraged openness. Systems to record accidents and incidents included a review by senior managers to ensure appropriate actions were taken to reduce any immediate risk along with steps taken to prevent it happening again. Lessons learned were discussed and put into practices for the future.

For example, recent medicine errors resulted in further training for staff along with a review of procedures for effective and safer medicine management.

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.

Staff ensured people had up to date hospital passports to take with them should they be admitted to hospital. This set out important information for hospital staff to understand people’s individual needs including their daily routines. Recently staff accompanied one person when admitted to hospital to promote safety and comfort for this individual.

Staff supported and arranged for people to attend healthcare and hospital appointments, they shared relevant information and recorded all advice given.

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 were confident that people were protected and safe. Observation confirmed a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere where people sought out the company of staff. Relatives told us, “I feel it is very safe now.” And “I do feel they are totally safe here, the deputy manager is very open and honest, and we have total confidence in him.”

Staff received training in safeguarding and told us they would report any concerns about people to their manager. They were aware of the safeguarding procedures and how to use the Whistle Blower procedure if required. The managers understood their role in raising and managing safeguarding concerns and making referrals to the local authority for investigation and resolution. The deputy manager described how concerns were raised and taken seriously.

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.

Individual support plans included a number of risk assessments that considered the person's environment, care, support, medicines and activities. These informed staff of what actions they needed to take to keep people safe and reduce the risk of harm. For example, how to respond to any increasing anxiety using a consistent and calming approach.

Staff worked with specialist advisors to respond to risks effectively. For example, a Speech and Language Therapist (SALT) was involved in the management of anyone with swallowing risk. Contact with the SALT confirmed staff worked with them and followed relevant guidelines to keep people safe. They also confirmed staff worked with people to promote their ability and understanding in following the guidelines.

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

A housing association owned and maintained the accommodation and the service monitored and reported any issues directly to them. Relevant certificates to demonstrate the servicing and checking of facilities were kept on the service’s computer records.

The environment was maintained and adapted to suit people’s safety requirements. For example, one of the toilets had been extended to meet a person’s individual safety requirements. Handrails were placed throughout the service to support safe mobility.

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 told us there was enough suitably trained staff and any allocated social hours were covered. One relative said, “We understand the staffing and know it’s what is funded, and they get their time.” Another said, “The staff are skilled at responding to needs and are now a stable work force.” The staffing provision was under review with the local authority to ensure all social needs were taken account of along with core hours for personal support.

Staff told us, “There are enough staff and plenty of training. We were short staffed but now we are fully recruited.” Another staff member reflected on how supervision had been used effectively to improve staff morale and practice. For example, the use of support and development meetings to drive improvement.

The provider followed safe recruitment procedures to ensure people were supported by staff who were fit and safe to support them. Recruitment records included satisfactory references, employment history, and criminal records checks. Staff received a full induction to the service and people. A staff training programme reflected the specific skills required and included the Oliver McGowan training. This is nationally recognised training for staff working with people with a learning disability or autistic people.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection.

The service was found to be clean with appropriate hand washing facilities. Staff had received training on infection prevention and control and had access to personal protective equipment (PPE). Staff knew when and how to use PPE correctly and how to prevent the risk of infection. Staff had completed food hygiene training to ensure that they understood how to handle, prepare, and store food properly to prevent illnesses.Staff supported people to keep their homes clean, normally completing the cleaning with people’s consent and direction.

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

People received their prescribed medicines as and when they needed them. Staff who handled medicines had completed training and had a competency assessment. We observed staff administering medicines. They followed the service’s procedure and followed best practice guidelines. For example, completing medicine administration on an individual basis using the medication administration records (MAR) to check prescribed medicines and only signing the record once medicines had been taken.

People had individual guidelines regarding their as required (PRN medicines). However, these were not always held with the MAR charts for clarity. This was raised with the deputy manager who addressed this matter immediately.

Storage arrangements for medicines were well managed this included individual cupboards for each person in their own private accommodation. These were checked to ensure medicines were stored at the correct temperatures. Stock control was thorough and enabled early detection of any discrepancies that were dealt with quickly.

Staff had links with clinical professionals to support the safe administration of medicines. A professional told us, “Contacts have been around queries about patients’ (people’s) medication, invariably confirming how best to administer medication and ensuring that directions on patients’ (people’s) medication are up to date and reflective of the current needs of the patient.(person)”