Burlington Hall Care Home

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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection, 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 provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety based on openness and honesty. A learning culture was promoted at the service, including through in ways such as staff handovers and meetings. The management team investigated every incident and adverse event thoroughly. This included discussions with staff who were involved to see if any lessons could be learned. People’s care plans and risk assessments were updated based on these reviews if necessary. One person said, ‘‘Staff are keen to make things better for us.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘I have complete trust in the staff team, and I know they would always try and do things better if anything went wrong.’’

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. Staff supported people to access other services such as health appointments or attend services like hospital when they needed to. Staff shared important information about how people wanted to be supported with partners and professionals to help ensure safe transitions. One person said, ‘‘[Staff] know me really well, so I don’t have to tell them if I feel unwell and need the doctor.’’ A visiting health professional told us, ‘‘I think Burlington Hall is an excellent example of how to safely support people to access other services if they need any help.’’

People were protected from abuse and improper treatment. Safeguarding concerns were taken seriously and investigated. The management team reported concerns to the safeguarding team where necessary and reviewed outcomes to see if lessons could be learned. Staff were trained in safeguarding and knew how to report concerns. One person said, ‘‘The staff make me feel very safe and are always there for me.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘I feel extremely relived at how safe and well supported [family member] is living here.’’

The provider worked well with people to understand and manage risks. Staff followed care plans and risk assessments to ensure people were supported. Risk assessments and care plans were detailed for the most part. However, some would have benefitted from having more detail to help guide staff when supporting people in areas such as personal care. The registered manager took immediate action to update these during our inspection which reassured us this issue was rectified. Staff knew how to keep people safe and no one at the service had experienced poor pressure area care or issues with their nutrition. We observed staff supporting people to use equipment such as hoists safely. A person told us, ‘‘I need to use [piece of equipment] and the staff know how to keep me safe when I use it.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘We were worried about [family member] as they had [developed health concern] in hospital. Thanks to the staff helping them use [equipment] they don’t have this concern anymore.’’

The provider detected and managed all potential risks in the care environment. All areas of the environment such as living areas and bedrooms were safe. Staff kept equipment people used safe and in good working order and carried out checks of the building to help make sure it was safe. The management team responded immediately if there were any issues which may make the environment unsafe. Fire safety at the service was well understood by the management and staff team and detailed plans were in place to support people if there was an emergency relating to fire. One person said, ‘‘This place is my home and feels like one.’’ A relative said, ‘‘It’s not the fanciest looking place in the world but is the most warming, welcoming and comfortable place for [family member].’’

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. There were enough staff to support people with their needs such as personal care and eating and drinking. People and relatives feedback confirmed this. Staff told us they had time to chat and engage with people as well as support them with their essential care needs. We also observed this to happen at all times of the day. Staff were trained in all areas relevant to their job roles and were confident and knowledgeable about this. The management team checked to make sure staff understood their training. The provider recruited potential new staff safely in line with legislation. One person said, ‘‘There are loads of staff here. You press the [call button] and they come straight away.’’ A relative told us, ‘‘[Registered manager] has built up a great team. They all know who we are and they all support [family member] very well and to the best of their ability.’’

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. Staff were trained in IPC and told us they had the necessary equipment to keep the service clean. We observed the service to be visibly clean. Staff whose role was to keep the service clean took pride in their work and knew how important it was for people’s home to be kept clean. Audits and checks were in place to monitor the cleanliness of the service and the effectiveness of the IPC measures in place. A person told us, ‘‘[Staff] are always busy keeping the place clean, but they all manage to stop and have a chat with me as well.’’

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 received their medicines on time and staff knew how people liked to be supported with them. Staff were trained to administer medicines and had their competency to do so checked regularly. People who were prescribed ‘as and when required’ (PRN) medicines had detailed guidelines in place so staff could administer them safely. One relative told us, ‘‘[Family member] has a complex routine with their medication and we trust the staff to deal with this which is very reassuring.’’