Care Options

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. 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.

The manager told us they tried to find out any reasons for incidents such as falls. If people had fallen a review of the environment and any hazards was completed to reduce risk of recurrence. Leaders also completed care visits when needed so were aware of the environments and hazards which helped when producing risk management plans. The manager said staff had opportunities to learn in meetings and supervisions. They said they were mindful of complacency so always checked for understanding from staff of care people needed.

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.

The manager told us where possible if people were needing to be transferred into hospital staff would stay with them until medical staff or family members arrived. When people were being discharged from hospital, leaders checked with healthcare professionals if there were any changes to people’s needs. They also checked if people would need any additional equipment which enabled them to make sure staff could access training if needed.

People told us staff had been responsive in making sure they had medical help in a timely way.

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 were provided with safeguarding training and knew how to report any concerns. One member of staff said, “I would contact the manager straight away and raise my concerns. I am confident they would act appropriately but I would check and make sure they had acted.”

People and relatives said they were safe using this service. People said the staff were reliable, caring and respectful towards them at all times. Care records high-lighted when people needed to be wearing any alarms or pendants, reminding staff to make sure people had them on their person before staff left.

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.

Risks to people’s safety had been assessed. Risk management plans were added to care plans and provided staff with guidance on working safely. Leaders reviewed all guidance regularly and made changes to make sure the content was current. Some risk management plans lacked specific details about people’s needs. We shared this feedback with the manager who took action immediately to include further details.

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 had information in their care records listing what equipment they needed and who was responsible for servicing or repair. Care plans contained guidance to remind staff to use the equipment safely. For example, guidance said to remember to apply brakes to beds and ensure hoist batteries were charged. The manager said if any additional training was needed to use specialist equipment, guidance was obtained from occupational therapists.

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 had been recruited safely. New staff had an induction which included training and shadowing of more experienced staff. If staff needed more shadow shifts this was organised until staff felt confident to work on their own.

Staff were provided with opportunities for regular supervision and refresher training as and when needed. Staff said they could ask for more training if they felt they needed it.

There were enough staff to safely meet the packages of care. The manager said they would not take on more than they could manage and did not promise people visit times if they could not provide care. People and relatives were complimentary about the staff knowledge and skills. They said staff were well trained to do their work.

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.

Staff had training on infection prevention and control and were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE). Leaders carried out spot checks which included an observation to make sure staff were wearing appropriate PPE and uniform.

People said staff wore appropriate PPE when visiting them and left their homes clean and tidy.

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 had their medicines as prescribed. Staff recorded administration of medicines on people’s medicines administration records. Those seen had no gaps in recording. People’s needs for help with medicines was recorded in their care records. Support provided varied from a prompt to take medicine to staff helping with administering.

Staff had medicines training which was refreshed. There were no formal records for an assessment of competence. Leaders were completing spot checks on staff in people’s homes which included an observation of administering medicine. However, this did not contain any details of what was observed. We shared this feedback with the manager who said they would organise competence assessments.