The Dales

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 registered manager 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 consistently felt there was a learning culture and there was an ‘open door’ policy by the registered manager to provide support. People felt safe living at the service and felt improvements were made when required. One person told us, “All the staff here are so kind and happy.”

Staff 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. Staff had a strong working relationship with system partners such as the GP, local hospital and social workers. Staff were skilled at collecting the information needed to make sure someone moved into the service safely. The service had demonstrated a commitment to put people at the centre of decisions being made and worked flexibly with other organisations to prioritise this.

The registered manager 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 registered manager shared concerns quickly and appropriately. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of abuse or neglect. Staff received mandatory training on safeguarding, and they felt confident to raise a concern where they felt assured the registered manager would act on this to protect the person. The registered manager worked closely with the Local Authority to raise concerns, and they also notified CQC to ensure transparency. Relatives felt confident their loved ones were safe. One relative told us, “The staff care for [person] so well. I couldn’t wish for a better place.” The service recognised when people needed a Deprivation of Liberty safeguard (DoLs) referral made to ensure their safety. The registered manager worked closely with the Local Authority to meet any conditions which may have bene set.

Staff 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. Staff promoted positive risk taking to ensure people maximised their independence and lived a high quality life. People told us they were actively consulted about managing their risks and relative expressed their delight that those living with dementia fully participate in trips which had been deemed too risky at other services. Staff recognised the importance of treating people’s risks individually and worked as a staff team to collaboratively maximise people’s rights and choices around risk. There were clear and person specific risk assessments to make sure staff were guided to support people in a way which was important to them.

The registered manager and provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. The service was decorated to a high standard, and it was clean and free from malodour throughout. People and their relatives commented on how they appreciated the warm and welcoming environment. The registered manager did whole home walk rounds to ensure they maintained an oversight of the standard of the environment. Maintenance and housekeeping staff worked hard to ensure the environment was maintained at a high level.

The registered manager 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 there was enough staff to provide responsive care. One person told us, “The staff come very quickly.” A relative commented, “There are always staff in the communal areas.” Staff members consistently told us there were enough nurses and care staff to provide safe care. The registered manager used the provider’s dependency tool to ensure there were enough staff to meet the needs of people’s differing health needs over a 24 hour period. We observed staff prioritised responding to call bells promptly. Staff had appropriate ongoing training and there was a robust induction. One member of staff told us, “The induction was very good.”

The registered manager assessed and managed the risk of infection. Staff were dedicated to detecting and controlling the risk of infection transmission. Staff consistently wore personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitised their hands. There was PPE available throughout the service. Checks took place regularly to make sure the service maintained a good standard of infection control. One person told us, “It is very clean here. They [staff] work very hard.”

Staff made sure medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened. Medicines were consistently managed safely. Nursing staff were skilled in supporting people’s health needs and had received additional training to perform certain clinical tasks to avoid the person needing to attend hospital. Regular checks were completed to make sure medicines were managed safely. People consistently told us they were happy with how their medicines were handled. One person told us, “If I need pain killers, I just as for it and the nurse comes to help.”