Guild Healthcare

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.

The service investigated incidents and lessons were shared through team meetings and supervision. The registered manager demonstrated their passion for continuous learning throughout the service and embedding a culture of openness and transparency.

Staff felt confident raising concerns and reported that they would be listened to. One member of staff told us, “There is absolutely a culture of openness, it’s a small team and we pass information and support each other. We use notes on the system for any updates.”

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.

Care plans were person-centred, and we saw evidence they were regularly reviewed. Staff used an electronic call monitoring system to log in and out of their visits which also flagged delays or missed visits to the management team. We saw evidence that alerts on the system were audited daily, weekly and monthly. Feedback from all people confirmed staff arrived on time and stayed for the full duration. People told us they received rotas in good time and were notified of any changes. People also told us that staff would support them and not rush or leave if a situation arose that required extra time to their normal scheduled visit.

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 to the relevant body quickly and appropriately.

People consistently reported feeling safe and felt that staff were well trained. Staff were appropriately trained in safeguarding adults and children. The provider worked closely with the local authority in sharing concerns, and concerns were also notified to CQC as required. Staff were aware of safeguarding procedures, and said they felt confident in raising a concern.

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.

People were involved in managing their care and any associated risks. Risk assessments were in place for falls, medication and the external environments as required.

Staff recognised when people were needing further support or equipment and alerted the office, and managers responded promptly. People felt listened to and respected, and staff adapted care based on individual preferences and needs.

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

Leaders assessed people’s home environments to make sure they were safe. Staff were informed of any risk within the person’s home and where there was a risk, the service worked with the person to reduce the risk, where possible. Staff were made aware of any changes to environmental risks to ensure care was not disrupted and information was shared in a transparent way. For example, one person who required oxygen had a clear risk assessment around this, that supported staff to understand how to reduce risks to both them and the person. The risk assessment also detailed actions care staff should take in the event of a power cut and other scenarios that may arise.

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.

Staffing was safe and effective. Staff received regular supervision and spot checks to assess their knowledge. Training was up to date, with workshops and practical sessions tailored to staff needs. Staff had access to complete training with 1:1 support from a trainer. Staff felt supported and valued. New staff members completed an in-depth induction when they joined the service to equip them for their role. The service matched staff to people’s preferences where possible for their care calls. The service used a rota system that ensured adequate staffing and staff took pride in working as a team to ensure there was always cover during times of sickness and absence.

Recruitment records showed staff were recruited safely. This included an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for adults. DBS checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions. Staff had received full inductions and multiple references from previous employments had been sought. Where a staff member had remained employed by the service for some time, DBS checks were renewed regularly.

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.

Infection prevention and control measures were robust. People told us staff consistently wore personal protective equipment (PPE) and followed hygiene protocols such as washing their hands before and after personal care and food preparation. People praised staff for their cleanliness and hygienic care . Staff received training on how to manage infection risks and pressure care. One person told us, “They [staff] wear their gloves and aprons and always wash their hands in between tasks.”

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.

The provider had systems in place to support the safe administration of medicines, and medicines were managed safely. We saw evidence of robust systems in place to audit and identify, medication administration or recording errors on a daily and monthly basis. The service had multi-layer processes in place to ensure sufficient oversight of medicines administration. We saw staff followed procedures for administering medication and this was documented appropriately.

People told us they felt staff safely administered medication and staff were described as respectful and hygienic when supporting with medication. People using the service expressed their confidence in receiving medication support. People who managed their own medicines felt confident doing so and knew who to contact if they had concerns. A relative told us “Medication is given safely and accurately”.