Right at Home Exeter & Exmouth Also known as Kintail Care Ltd

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.

People and staff felt confident in raising concerns or issues and told us the service management would address their concerns. The provider had good oversight of incidents, accidents and complaints. They used concerns raised through their governance system to record and resolve issues raised. The provider had used incidents to make improvements and embed good practice.

The provider understood their responsibilities under Duty of Candour and relatives confirmed they were kept informed of any incidents.

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.

This provider assessed people prior to starting their package of care. The provider ensured care was organised flexibly, with adjustments made where required to meet people’s changing needs.People and their relatives told us where required, and with their knowledge and consent, the service communicated with third party professionals to escalate concerns. Staff told us they were always informed when people started with the service or when people’s needs changed.

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.

People and relatives told us they felt safe receiving support from the staff and were able to raise issues if there were any. The provider had effective safeguarding procedures in place. Senior staff demonstrated a thorough approach to investigating safeguarding concerns, to help reduce the risk of people suffering abuse or coming to avoidable harm.

Staff had received appropriate training and told us they understood safeguarding procedures. Staff said, “I would call the office straightaway and report to them, and I know how to access the safeguarding website, so I do know what to do in the event of them not taking action. It would never happen in this company as they are so on the ball.”

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.

The provider considered risks to people and staff as part of their assessment when people started with the service. People and relatives told us they had been involved in creating their care plans. Risk assessments were documented throughout care plans with mitigating actions to reduce risks identified. This promoted positive outcomes for people around their safety through giving appropriate guidance to staff to provide good quality care.

Staff we spoke with were clear about these risks and how to mitigate them. Staff told us there was enough information within care plans and it was clear what they needed to do. One staff member commented, “The care plans do reflect the needs of people and they are clear.”

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 assessments of people’s home environments to identify and reduce any risks related to the delivery of care. The provider had invested in technological solutions to aid the delivery of safe care. This included electronic care planning systems and mobile care applications. This helped to improve safety and the provider’s ability to monitor how care was delivered. Staff had completed fire safety training to support them in the procedures to follow if there was a fire within a person’s property.

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 were recruited safely with appropriate checks taking place. They took part in an induction and training programme to ensure they were competent and had the right skills to provide safe care.Supervision and appraisal processes were in place.

Staff spoke positively of the induction and training they had received from the provider. Feedback was positive about the ongoing training and development within the service. One staff member told us, “Training is brilliant, if it is ever due to run out they give you a heads-up so it never runs out and if I feel not so confident I speak to them and it is dealt with straightaway.” People and their relatives felt staff were well trained and performed their roles competently.

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.

The provider had effective infection control procedures in place. Staff told us there were adequate supplies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and they knew when to use it. The provider used regular spot checks in the community to assure themselves staff infection control practice was safe. One staff member commented, “We wear PPE for personal care. I normally wear disposable apron and gloves and depending on the situation I might wear a mask and if I have got a cold. I change gloves and aprons if I am doing other tasks.” No concerns were raised by people or their relatives when we spoke with them about infection control practice by staff.

The provider made sure medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened.

Medicines were administered as required and in line with people’s prescriptions. People’s care plans detailed the support people needed to manage their medicines, and levels of independence people wished to maintain. As required medicines (PRN) protocols were detailed and individual. This guided staff to know when they were required. The registered manager told us no people were currently receiving their medicines covertly. Staff were trained to administer medicines and their ongoing competency to do so safely was assessed via spot checks