Right at Home U.K

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 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. For example, although no incidents had occurred, there were systems and processes in place to ensure any future events would be managed appropriately and used as learning opportunities. Staff understood reporting processes, and systems in place to support this.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. For example, hospital admissions and discharges were managed by families; however, staff were provided with clear and accessible information to use if they needed to share important details with other agencies. The registered manager and staff understood the importance of sharing accurate information to maintain people’s safety.

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. For example, the registered manager and staff had completed safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities for protecting people from the risk of abuse. They knew the different types and indicators of abuse and procedures for reporting safeguarding concerns internally and externally. Families felt their relative was kept safe and were confident about raising concerns should any arise.

The provider worked with people to understand risks and managed risk through consistent monitoring. For example, people and their families were actively involved and contributed to the development and agreement of risk assessments and care plans. These plans were personalised, reflected people’s specific circumstances, and provided clear guidance for staff on how to manage identified risks effectively.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. For example, safety checks on people’s home environments were completed and kept under review. Staff were aware to report any environmental safety concerns.

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. For example, robust recruitment processes were followed, including appropriate pre-employment checks, to ensure staff were safe to work with vulnerable people. Staff received effective support through regular supervision, training, and ongoing professional development, enabling them to maintain the skills and knowledge required for their roles.

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. For example, staff had access to an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), which they used appropriately in line with current guidance. Staff had completed infection prevention and control (IPC) training and demonstrated an understanding of good infection control practices in their day-to-day work.

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. For example, people using the service did not require support with medicines, as this was managed by their families. However, the provider had appropriate medicines policies and procedures in place, and staff had received training in medicines management to ensure they were competent to provide safe support should this be required in the future.