HF Trust - Hollycroft

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 inspection we rated this key question Requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to 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. When incidents and accidents happened, these were reviewed and discussed with the staff team so any improvements could be implemented. For example, staff identified times of the day when people were more likely to feel upset or anxious. They then actively discussed ways in which they could proactively support people to feel better and express how they were feeling. One person said, ‘‘It is good news living here and not bad news.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘The staff all know [family member] so well so are really on the ball if anything needs to be different.’’

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 contacted professionals such as GP’s or psychologists if people needed support. If professionals gave advice that needed to be followed, this was communicated and shared with the staff team. The management and staff team had also developed ‘passports’ for people to take with them to appointments which gave those supporting them essential information about how they communicated and what was important to them. One person told us, ‘‘I will go to the doctor if I don’t feel well.’’ A family member said, ‘‘We can always be assured staff will look out for [family member] wherever they need to go.’’

People and their relatives told us they/ their family member were safe living at the service. Staff were trained in safeguarding and knew what signs may indicate potential abuse and how to report concerns to external partners such as the local authority or CQC. Safeguarding concerns were reported, and any actions were taken seriously by the management and staff team. People were visibly relaxed being supported by the staff team. One person said, ‘‘I always feel safe living here.’’ Another person showed us how safe they felt by happily showing us what they were spending their time doing and dancing with staff members. A relative told us, ‘‘[Family member] is in good hands with the staff team. They were really upset about something recently and staff knew exactly how to make them feel safe.’’

For the most part, people had detailed care plans and risk assessments in place to guide staff in supporting them and mitigating risks as far as possible. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks people faced and how to support them to be safe. People were supported to do what they wanted to do and staff fully supported this, mitigating risks as far as possible whilst fully enabling people to take positive risks. Staffing levels were utilised to their fullest so people could follow their interests safely. One person said, ‘‘If you want to do something the staff do it. No problem.’’ Staff had noted one person was at more risk leaving their home since their needs changed and updated their risk assessments to accommodate their changing needs. This meant the person was still able to do what was important to them. A relative said, ‘‘[Family member’s] needs have changed a lot, but it doesn’t phase the staff team. They just keep on going to make sure [family member] is as happy as they can be.’’

The provider took action to deal with potential risks in people’s home environments. Staff supported people to keep their home environments tidy and free from risks. Equipment used by people was checked to ensure it was safe to use. Staff completed checks to make sure environments were safe and these checks were audited regularly. One person said, ‘‘The house is wonderful and fantastic.’’

There were enough staff to support people safely. People had the correct staffing level throughout the day. The management and staff team had worked hard to fully consider staff deployment and maximise how people could be supported safely to spend their time. We expand on the positive impacts this had for people in the Caring and Well-led section of this report. One person said, ‘‘Staff are always around to help you.’’

Staff had the training they needed to support people and their competency to support people was checked after their training. Staff were knowledgeable about their training, particularly in relation to supporting autistic people and people living with learning disabilities. The provider recruited staff safely in line with legislation to help ensure they were suitable for their job roles. One person showed us how excited they were to see the staff supporting them using body language and signing. A relative said, ‘‘[Registered manager] has taken the time to really upskill the staff team and it is the best it has ever been.’’

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. Staff were trained in infection and prevention control (IPC) and told us they had the necessary equipment to help people keep their homes clean. We observed the service to be clean. Staff supported people to take part in cleaning some areas of their home if they chose to do so. Audits and checks were in place to monitor the cleanliness of people’s homes and the effectiveness of the IPC measures in place. One person said, ‘‘I do my laundry and cleaning on [day of the week]. I like my room to be clean.’’

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities, and preferences. Staff were trained to safely administer people’s medicines and their competency to do this was regularly checked. The management team audited and had checks in place to make sure medicines were being administered safely. The staff and management team proactively worked with health professionals to reduce the use of medicines used to help support people when they were feeling anxious. Staff supported people with other techniques when they felt anxious, and this had a positive impact on people’s quality of life. One relative told us, ‘‘I have every confidence in the staff team when it comes to [family members] medicines.’’