Blanche Caring Heart Ltd

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• 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 registered 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.

There was a culture of learning from incidents and accidents to prevent a re-occurrence. Relatives told us the agency had supported their loved one when they had fallen whilst at home. Any accidents or incidents were reviewed during staff meetings to identify any patterns or trends and to make referrals to the appropriate healthcare agencies. A staff member recalled action had been taken when a hot water bottle had burst following it being filled. The instructions and actions were communicated to all staff, people using the service and relatives.

Staff had been trained in emergency first aid and knew what action to take if there was an accident or incident. Including contacting the emergency services, a member of the management team and completing the relevant paperwork. A member of the management team completed a regular audit to review all incidents and accidents another example, showed staff had sought medical advice, contacted the management team and also contacted the person’s next of kin when they had become unwell.

People, their relatives and any relevant healthcare professionals were involved in the planning of any transition to the agency or outside the agency. A relative said about the initial transition to the agency, they said, “They were very good, they came in and introduced themselves. We became well acquainted. We all got on very well whether they were male of female carers.” People were fully involved in the initial pre-admission assessment which was completed by a member of the management team alongside the person and their relatives. The pre-admission assessment was comprehensive enabling the management team to identify whether the person’s needs could be met by the staff of whether further training and development was required. Information taken from the initial assessment was then transferred into the person’s care plan.

A healthcare professional commented positively about the discharge planning for an individual, they had been working with alongside the care agency. The management team told us if a person was taken to hospital, they would go out of their way to visit the person in hospital to make sure they were receiving the appropriate care and support they wanted, which was appreciated by the person.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe with the staff and felt the staff knew what they were doing and how to meet their needs. A relative said, “They are always keeping us in the loop of how things are going. We are the only relatives local to them and with both of us working and we don’t have the time needed for them which is why we got these people in and they seem to be doing a really good job.”

Staff had been trained and knew the action to take if they had any suspicions of suspected abuse. Staff followed the provider’s policy and procedure in relation to safeguarding which had been adapted to include the local authority’s contact details. Safeguarding was a standard agenda item for each team and management meeting.

People and their relatives confirmed they had been involved in assessing potential risks posed to them and provided actions for staff to follow to mitigate these risks. A person said when speaking about the development of their risk assessments, “They see what I am capable of and help to go along with that. They make suggestions as to what might be easy for me and they don’t go ahead and do it they explain and talk to you and ask if you are comfortable. I can’t praise them enough for that.”

Staff knew people well and understood how to support them to reduce any potential risks. Staff had been trained to meet people’s needs including their specialist needs such as, nutrition and hydration and the use of any specific mobility aids. People’s care plans detailed the specific support the person needed from staff and the things the person was able to do for themselves, always maintaining their independence. A risk assessment followed the care plan which detailed any potential risks and actions to be taken to mitigate these.

People were supported to live in an environment that met their needs and was safe for staff to work in. A relative said, “They [staff] tidy up after themselves, wash the sink, they wear croc shoes when they shower my partner.”

During the initial assessment there was an assessment of the person’s house including any potential risks. For example, any pets, using the stairs and cleaning. Staff knew how to monitor the safety of the premises and knew who to report any concerns to. A member of staff said, “With most service users we would make sure the environment is free from any obstruction. We would ensure equipment like walking frames and grab rails are not showing any signs of wear and tear and are secure. We would test the fire alarm to make sure it is working. If it is showing red then we would report it to a manager.”

People and their relatives told us they knew the staff well and felt staff were well trained and able to meet their and their loved ones needs. Relatives confirmed staff arrived on time and stayed for the allocated amount of time. Relatives told us systems were in place if a member of staff was going to be late due to traffic for example and they would always be informed.

Staff told us they received a comprehensive induction when they joined the agency and had received the appropriate support, skills and guidance to meet people’s needs. Staff spoke highly of their role and the support they received from the management team. One member of staff said, “I love doing this job. It gives me joy and I make sure the service user is happy before I leave.” A member of the management team told us people had a core staff team who they knew well. An electronic rostering system was used which ensured people’s shifts were covered with consistency and continuity of care.

Staff had been recruited safely with appropriate checks in place to ensure their suitability and fitness for the role. Staff received regular support and supervision from their line manager through spot checks, supervision meetings and team meetings.

People told us and relatives confirmed staff wore the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of infection. A person said when speaking about the staff, “They put covers over their shoes, so they don’t dirty your carpets. They are very mindful of that and wash their hands regularly and change gloves often even when preparing my breakfast.”

Staff had been trained, followed the organisation’s policy and procedure and had access to ample supplies of PPE. Observation of infection prevention and control was completed during the spot checks of care staff, by a member of the management team to ensure they were adhering to the policies and procedures, as well as meeting the person’s care needs. Questions and feedback was sought from people at the end of the spot check. A person had commented, “The carer wears her PPE as soon she steps in the house.”

People received their medicines safely from trained staff who had had their competency assessed by a member of the management team, if this was part of their care package. If required, staff followed an electronic medication administration record which detailed the medication, dose and the time that it needed to be given. Staff would sign the electronic record once the medication had been administered.

Staff followed care records that detailed people’s medication needs, reasons for use, and storage instructions. Risk assessments were in place, and action had been taken to prevent one person from taking too much medication. Monthly medication audits were carried out by management, including checks on whether GP reviews had taken place.