Timeless Care Services Limited

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 provider was previously registered at another address. This is the first assessment for this service in the new location. 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 confident to report any concerns and incidents and the leadership culture supported and reiterated open and transparent ways of working. This had created and embedded a positive ‘learning culture’ at the service. Any incidents were reviewed to ensure all correct actions had been taken or if any further lessons learnt to improve the service could be taken.

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.

People told us the service worked well when they needed to coordinate the provision of care that sometimes involved other healthcare professionals. For example, one relative told us care calls would be coordinated so that care staff would be present to help transfer their family member so visiting healthcare professionals could complete their care assessments.

People’s care plans included the contact details of other professionals involved in people’s care and clearly identified when care staff had responsibilities. For example, when they were to report medicines needed re-ordering. This helped to ensure safe systems of care were established.

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 felt safe with the care they received and the staff who supported them. One relative told us, “Yes, we feel safe and happy, I think they are doing a good job.”

Staff had been trained and understood their responsibilities to protect people from avoidable harm and abuse. They understood how to report concerns and how to ‘whistle blow.’ Whistleblowing is a law that protects staff from being treated unfairly by their employer if they have raised genuine concerns about a person’s care.

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 fully involved in how to manage any risks because their views had been reflected and used to inform their care decisions.

Risk assessments identified risks to people and how these could be reduced and managed. Staff followed these and checked any risk reduction measures were in place, for example staff checked people had their falls alarms with them if these were used. Any risks in people’s homes were identified before staff started to provide care and people were happy that staff worked safely.

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

People felt staff worked safely in their homes. One relative told us, “Staff do ensure everything is off the floor, and all the leads are in place and correct.” Another relative told us staff ensured a person’s home was kept secure. They said, “It’s all safe, I complete confidence in the security protocols.”

Risk assessments were completed before staff started to work in people’s homes and these identified any risks and how they could be reduced.

Records showed that any equipment staff used to help people transfer, such as hoists and slings had been checked to ensure they had been serviced.

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 told us they received consistent care as it was the same small group of staff that provided their care. One person told us, “I have different staff, but they all work safely.” They felt staff and the people they cared for were well matched in terms of compatibility. A relative said, “We love the fact staff are regular. We needed a small core team. We want to build up familiarity and for staff to get to know [family member].”

All staff told us their care calls to people were organised well and they had enough time with people and enough time to travel in-between calls. Staff were recruited safely with an induction process followed, and they had regular supervision, training and appraisals. Staff training was matched to the needs of the people they supported.

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.

People’s care plans detailed how staff were to provide any personal care and people told us this was done to their satisfaction. People were happy that staff worked to promote a clean environment if they helped to prepare people’s meals. For example, a relative commented, “Sometimes I will just turn up there, when not expected, and it is all tidy and clean. The staff are very conscientious, wiping down surface, and putting things away.” Staff had completed training in infection prevention and control. The registered manager completed regular spot checks to ensure staff complied with infection prevention and control principles.

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.

People were happy with how their medicines were managed. One person told us, “I have creams on my legs, and it is always done well.”

Medicines were managed in line with good practice guidance. Staff had been assessed for their competence to administer medicines safely. They followed instructions on ‘Medicine Administration Record’ (MAR) charts to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed and recorded the actions they had taken.