Anytime Care 2020 (Hampshire)

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.

This is the first assessment for this service. This key question has been rated 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 to learn from incidents and improve practice. Medication errors and safeguarding concerns were reported and escalated without blame. One staff member said, "They have taught me that negative feedback is not something to be afraid of but more something to accept and act upon as there is always room for improvement." This culture was demonstrated when a staff member suggested recording a person’s prescribed shampoo in their care records when it had been missed to prevent it happening again.

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 shared information through care plans, handovers, [electronic care systems] and team communication. There was close partnership working with hospitals, GPs, district nurses and therapists. A staff member explained, "Any changes can be found in the handover notes that we must read before logging in to every care call." Hospital discharge information and health professionals’ recommendations were incorporated into care planning to ensure continuity of care.

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 demonstrated a strong understanding of safeguarding responsibilities and were confident in reporting concerns. One staff member told us, "I have never felt that safeguarding concerns haven't been taken seriously as my management have always acted promptly." Another said, "I would follow the 5 R's by recognising, responding, reporting, recording and reviewing." Staff understood whistleblowing procedures and the need to escalate concerns to CQC and other agencies when required. One person said, “I feel safe”.

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.
Risks relating to skin care, mobility and nutrition were assessed with regular involvement from people and their relatives. Positive risk taking was encouraged and independence was balanced with safety. A staff member explained, "We do empower others to take safe risks within a safe environment." This was evident in the support provided to 1 person who organised group activities for over-50s. Staff promoted their confidence and independence whilst ensuring appropriate risk controls were in place.
 

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

Risk assessments identified environmental risks and equipment was regularly assessed and reviewed. One example involved staff working with a person’s family and occupational therapists to create a safer living arrangement. A staff member said, "We worked with the client's family and occupational therapists in creating a microenvironment on the ground floor as the stairs presented a high risk of falls." Mobility aids and environmental adaptations were installed to reduce the person’s risk of falls.

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.

Effective systems were in place to ensure staff were recruited safely, appropriately trained and regularly monitored to ensure they followed the provider’s policies when delivering care. Staff received ongoing guidance, additional training and had regular opportunities to discuss people’s needs through team meetings, supervision and day-to-day support. This helped ensure areas for skills development were identified and addressed promptly. A member of staff said, “The support and development I have received from management has given me the confidence, knowledge and skills to provide safe, high-quality, person-centred care. Knowing that guidance and support are always available enables me to meet people’s individual needs effectively and continuously develop within my role." A relative said, “I am generally happy with the staff and there seems to be consistency”.

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 received training in food hygiene, the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection prevention and control. Their competency was routinely assessed to ensure best practice was followed and the risk of cross-infection was minimised. This was particularly important as staff travelled between people's homes to provide personal care and support.

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.

Staff received comprehensive training and routine competency assessments to ensure they could manage medicines safely and effectively. They demonstrated a good understanding of medicine procedures, including the administration and recording of ‘as required’ (PRN) medicines. Records showed people had received their medicines as prescribed.

A member of staff said, "The medication training and competency assessments have given me the knowledge and confidence to support people safely with their medicines. I understand the importance of following procedures correctly and know that I can access guidance from management whenever I need it." People told us they were satisfied with how they were supported to manage their medicine.