Bridgewater Home Care

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. This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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. Staff were encouraged to raise concerns about safety, and incidents were investigated and reported appropriately. Safety events were investigated appropriately, and learning was identified, documented and shared with staff. This supported continuous improvement, embedded good practice and reduced the risk of recurrence. Lessons learned were clearly recorded and used to drive improvements in the quality and safety of care.

The provider worked with people and healthcare professionals to establish and maintain safe systems of care, ensuring people's safety and wellbeing were effectively monitored. Where the service provided support with people's health needs, this was clearly documented and delivered appropriately. Staff monitored people's wellbeing and, where concerns were identified, discussed these with the person and/or their relatives and made timely referrals to relevant healthcare professionals. Communication with external agencies was clearly recorded, and appropriate action was taken in response to professional advice to ensure people's needs continued to be met safely. Where people had multiple health conditions the service ensured staff who attended had the specialists training and experience. One relative told us, “The company provided a carer who is trained in epilepsy and medication.”

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and how this could best be achieved. All staff had completed safeguarding training and were able to explain the actions they would take if they had concerns about a person's safety or wellbeing. Staff were provided with the contact details of the Local Authority safeguarding team, enabling them to report safeguarding concerns promptly and appropriately.
People and their relatives described staff as kind and caring. One relative we spoke with stated, “[relative] is very safe and [staff] could not have been more supportive” Another relative shared, It’s good care here and they give him his meds, keep him clean and will do things in the house if they have time to” adding “[relative] is safe with the carers – I’m going away for a week and they will come in 3 x a day, I trust them.”
 

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks through a holistic approach. Staff provided care and support that was safe, responsive to people's needs, and enabled them to do the things that mattered to them.
Risks were clearly identified and recorded, with measures in place to mitigate these where possible. Where people's needs changed, risk assessments were reviewed and updated to reflect the changes and ensure appropriate support continued to be provided.
 

The provider identified and managed potential risks within people's home environments to support the delivery of safe care. Before support commenced, comprehensive risk assessments were completed to assess risks to both people receiving support and staff. Environmental risks were reviewed regularly, and actions were taken to reduce identified hazards. For example, during one assessment staff identified a person did not have a working smoke alarm. This was discussed with the person, who was supported and encouraged to obtain a smoke alarm to help maintain their safety within the home.

The provider ensured there were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs safely. Staff received appropriate training, supervision and support to enable them to carry out their roles effectively. Staff worked well together to provide safe, consistent care that met people's individual needs.
People and their relatives spoke positively about the staff providing support and described receiving care from a consistent team of carers. One relative said, “[Person] has a regular group of about 5 or 6 carers, the same handful of staff who she recognises.” Another relative told us, “We do have carers we know and if there is a new one coming then they come with an experienced carer, which is helpful.” One person receiving support said, “I have 4 or 5 different carers and I like them all.”
Peoples feedback on their care demonstrated they were happy with the service received. They experienced continuity of care and were supported by staff who knew them and understood their needs.
 

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 utilised Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when required and the service ensured they had enough stock readily available.
 

The provider made sure medicines and treatments were managed safely and met people's needs, preferences and capacities. People were involved in planning their care and support, including when changes to their medicines occurred. Carers were trained to administer medication safely and were regularly assessed to ensure they were competent to do so.
Where staff supported people with their medicines, this was clearly recorded and the provider had clear systems and processes in place to manage and oversee the management of medicines. One person told us, “The carers sort out my medication – it comes in a blister pack.” A relative described the support provided by both care staff and the management team, stating, “[Person] needs help with his pills and the carers do that. [Manager] has been so good, she organised all his medications and took over the ordering, including Gaviscon and eye drops. So helpful.”
This demonstrated people received appropriate support to manage their medicines and had confidence in the staff responsible for this aspect of their care.