Satash Community Care Project 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. At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. The provider was previously in breach of the legal regulation in relation to safe recruitment. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.

At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 received regular training in health and safety, and any issues were routinely discussed in team meetings. Accidents and incidents were investigated by the management team, lessons learnt were shared with staff, and improvements were implemented and reviewed to promote continuous learning to reduce the risk of recurrence.

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 benefitted from continuity of care through a consistent team of staff who knew them well. We observed warm, relaxed and natural interactions, with people appearing comfortable and confident in staff’s presence. Staff understood people’s individual communication styles, preferences and support needs, enabling people to express themselves freely and engage positively with those supporting them. A member of staff told us how they have been consistently supporting the same person since their gradual transition from their family home to Satash, “At first [person] only ate in [their] room. It was a really long transition period, [they] came here very gradually. [They] even went on holiday with [their] family recently and they couldn’t believe [their] progress. We never thought we’d get [them] out.” This continuity of care enabled people to build trusting relationships, feel safe and secure and achieve outcomes that may not otherwise have been possible.

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 had received training in safeguarding, bullying and harassment and equality and diversity. Staff were able to tell us about the different types of abuse people may experience, how signs of abuse could be identified, and what action they would take if they suspected abuse. Staff communicated with confidence and were able to tell us about whistleblowing and freedom to speak up policies. One member of staff said, “I would report to [registered manager]. If she wasn’t acting on it, I would go to the director. If I had a concern about the directors, I would go to the local authority or CQC. The same for whistleblowing.”

The registered manager gave us an example of a safeguarding investigation where she was able to recognise early signs of potential financial abuse. Their detailed knowledge of the person’s usual finances enabled them to identify concerns promptly, take appropriate action and share information with relevant professionals without delay to help protect the person from harm.

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 and their relatives told us they felt safe living at the service. One person told us the people working at the service made them feel safe. Another person said, “Yes, I feel safe here”. A relative explained, “My [relative] is safe at the home.”

Risk assessments where in place for people’s individual needs, for example diabetes, epilepsy and risk of falls. These were regularly reviewed by the management team. People's care and support plans were consistent with their risk assessments.

The home did not use restraint, seclusion or segregation to manage risks or support people when they felt anxious. Instead, staff used positive behaviour support, planning and adopted proactive approaches such as preventative strategies in response to early signs of distress. A relative told us, “When my [relative] was having behavioural issues it was managed very well.”

Equipment, facilities and technology supported the safe delivery of care, and the home was clean, well maintained and provided a warm, homely environment. Relatives spoke positively about the service, describing it as welcoming and expressing satisfaction. The service had up to date Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEP). PEEPs provide staff and emergency service personnel with critical information on the evacuation needs of each person in the event of an emergency such as a fire.

At our last inspection there were gaps in the appropriate recruitment checks to ensure that staff were recruited safely into the service. At this inspection, we found that this was no longer the case and that 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.

Staff were recruited safely with the necessary pre-employment checks to ensure they were of good character. This included 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 confirmed they received a thorough induction and ongoing support from managers. A member of staff told us, “Managers are approachable and provide regular supervision, training and constructive feedback. They encourage staff to ask questions, learn from experiences and share ideas, which helps us continually improve the quality of care we provide.”

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection and had a cleaning schedule and audit in place. One relative told us, “The house is always clean and tidy when we visit.” Another relative said, “The house is very clean.” A third relative said, “It’s very homely place. My [relative] is always clean, and the home is always tidy.”

We observed the service to be clean and free of malodour. The service had cleaning schedules in place and staff had access to the personal protective equipment (PPE) they needed and used PPE appropriately. Staff received training about infection prevention and control.

Medicines were managed safely and effectively. Where appropriate, people were involved in receiving their medicines and understood what they were taking and why. Robust medicines audits and accurate records were in place and supported safe medicines management. One person received their medicines covertly, and the appropriate documentation and authorisations were in place and up to date.

The service demonstrated a commitment to medicines optimisation by working with the STOMP (Stopping Over Medication of People with a Learning Disability, Autism or Both) programme to reduce ‘when required’ (PRN) medicines for people, recognising that unnecessary overmedication can have a detrimental impact on their wellbeing. The registered manager explained that for these people, they had successfully stopped or dramatically decreased the use of regular medicines being administered and records confirmed this. The registered manager explained, “At Satash, we recognize that over medicating individuals is not acceptable and should only be used if the need is there. We will request medication reviews and query doses. We have worked with the STOMP team and enhanced support team to look at other options such as activities, distractions and hobbies.”