Orchard Place

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 78 (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. Accidents and incidents were regularly reviewed and analysed. The leadership team completed monthly accident and incident analysis to identify any potential future risks. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice and shared with staff at supervisions and staff meetings.

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. The registered manager completed pre assessments to gather information before a person moved into the service. When people came to the service for respite care, care plans were updated on re-admission. This meant staff always had the most updated information about people’s care and support needs, and any changes to their care delivery since they were last admitted to the service. People’s care plans demonstrated they were supported to access healthcare services when needed. External healthcare staff told us staff and leaders worked effectively and collaboratively. There were systems in place to share information about people should they need to go to hospital in the event of an emergency.

Staff and leaders 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. All people and relatives we spoke with told us they felt safe and had a staff member they could speak with if they needed to raise any concerns. One person told us they felt reassured they could call on someone at night and they would attend straight away if needed.

Staff always worked well with people to fully understand and manage risks. Staff provided care which fully met people’s needs and was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things which mattered to them. We saw multiple examples of where people had been supported to manage some of their own healthcare tasks which involved taking risks. The registered manager completed risk assessments and specific care plans and supported people to understand their associated risk taking. For example, where people managed their own specific health conditions. These were reviewed regularly with people to ensure it was safe and to consider if any additional support may be needed to aid people to maintain their independence when managing their own healthcare tasks. People told us this was important to them and felt assured if they needed help or had any difficulties staff would assist them if needed.

Staff detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. Equipment was serviced regularly to maintain safety and the registered manager completed regular internal environment checks. The service was clean and free from hazards. People’s rooms were personalised and arranged in a way which met their clinical needs. People accessed other parts of the building independently to attend activities or visit the onsite café.

Leaders 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. We spoke with several staff who were long standing employee’s, they shared good knowledge of the service and people they supported. We observed, and were told by people, staff would spend time with them playing games and interacting. People told us staff attended to their call bells in a timely manner. One person told us, “Staff are great, I know them all. They come if I call the bell, I can get help if I need it, they are very good”. All staff we spoke with told us they had the required training to carry out their roles safely and effectively. The training was both online and face to face.

Staff assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading. The service was visibly clean and well maintained. People’s rooms were cleaned regularly, and communal areas were kept tidy. We observed staff wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment when providing care and support and they had received training in infection prevention. The service had a policy and procedures in place for Infection Prevention and Control, and regular audits were completed by leaders.

Staff 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. Medicines were managed safely by staff who were suitably trained and competency assessed. There were effective systems and processes in place to ensure medicines were given as prescribed and staff followed national guidance. Some people living at the service were supported to self-medicate, the relevant guidance and risk assessments were in place. One person told us, “I manage (medicine name) myself, if I need assistance or I’m unwell I ask staff to help me”.