Grays Riverside

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. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

Staff recorded all accidents and incidents and shared this information with the registered manager. The registered manager maintained a record of these events, analysing the data to identify trends and ensure learning opportunities were not missed. Key lessons learned were then communicated to the wider team through regular team meetings.
 

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 service provided a service user guide to ensure individuals had access to relevant information.

The registered manager told us safety and continuity of care were prioritised. Staff supported a person to attend appointments, and any planned hospital stays were discussed and organised in partnership with the person’s family. When required, staff accompanied the person to hospital and provided a detailed handover, including information about fluids, medication, and any required adjustments. Care plans and notes were shared to ensure consistency of care.

The service also developed a hospital passport, which included the person’s medical history, routines, preferences, and guidance on what support worked best for them, helping to ensure their needs were understood in healthcare settings.
 

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.
Staff understood how to recognise signs of abuse and knew who to escalate their concerns to. One staff member said, “I would look out for signs of abuse, neglect, unsafe practice or changes in health and report them to the manager immediately and document them.” Staff told us they felt comfortable raising concerns with the registered manager and were confident these concerns would be listened to and acted upon. All staff completed safeguarding training for both children and adults. The provider had safeguarding policies and procedures in place, and the registered manager fully understood all reporting procedures.
 

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 relating to the person were appropriately assessed and managed with involvement of their relative. Risk assessments in place were detailed, with clear guidance for staff to follow. The service had recently supported the person to go on holiday with their family, this support included managing the associated risks. A family member told us, “They [staff] came on holiday with us, they supported and helped us. The support they provided, it was really good. It can be a struggle to manage all of the clinical stuff and the risks, they did all of that. The risk assessments, they were fantastic.”

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. The provider carried out an environmental risk assessment and reviewed this regularly. Staff had received appropriate health and safety training including moving and handling and fire safety.

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. Appropriate checks were in place before staff started work, including providing references and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. DBS provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions. Staff files included a full employment history or explanations for gaps in employment.

The service had processes in place to ensure staff received a structured induction. New staff were given opportunities to shadow experienced team members and spend time getting to know the person they supported. Staff received training relevant to their role, with their competency assessed by the registered manager or clinical lead. This included areas such as medication, nutritional support, moving and handling, and safeguarding.

Training was regularly refreshed to ensure staff maintained their knowledge and skills in line with best practice. Staff provided positive feedback about their induction and training. One staff member said, “I completed my induction and mandatory training. It was a mixture of online and practical training, and I found it useful and easy to follow.”
 

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 received training in infection prevention and control (IPC) and food safety. The provider had clear IPC policies and procedures in place to guide staff practice. Staff told us they had access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to carry out their roles safely.

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. Staff had received appropriate training in medication administration, and their competency had been assessed.
Staff followed a supportive pain management plan that helped them recognise when the person might be uncomfortable and know exactly how to help. The agreed approach combined comforting, non-medical care alongside medication. Staff also worked closely with the person’s family, consulting them for gentle guidance on using PRN (as required) medication whenever it was needed.
A monthly medication administration record (MAR) audit was completed by the registered manager. In addition, care staff carried out daily checks, including monitoring medication stock levels and ensuring equipment was clean and ready for use.