Stambridge Meadows Care Home

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 as 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 management team investigated incidents and accidents to ensure risks were managed effectively and to identify opportunities for learning and improvement. This learning was then shared with the staff through team meetings, memos and handovers. One member of staff told us, “If something goes wrong or there is an incident, our manager shares the details with staff and suggests ways of working to reduce risks.” The staff member went on to describe a recent incident where learning had been identified and shared with staff to help minimise the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.

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 worked with people and those close to them to develop their care plans. The management team explained how they encouraged people and their relatives, or others important to them, to share personal information and preferences to help ensure care was safe and personalised. People were encouraged to visit the home before moving in and the management team met with people to assess whether the service could meet their needs.

People had hospital passports in place, which provided important information about how they wished to be supported, what was important to them and any assessed needs. This helped ensure a smooth transition and continuity of care when attending hospital.

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.

The people we spoke with told us they felt safe and relatives also said they believed their family members were safe. The service had safeguarding systems and processes in place to help protect people from abuse. The registered manager understood their responsibility to notify us and the local authority of any safeguarding concerns, allegations, or incidents of abuse.

All staff had completed safeguarding training and felt confident raising concerns with the management team. Staff told us they were assured that any concerns raised would be acted upon appropriately. They were also aware of their right to raise concerns externally, including with the local authority and other relevant agencies.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes, this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), which is part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA and how they managed DoLS within the service. We found the registered manager understood their responsibility to make DoLS applications when required and did this in conjunction with people’s relatives and advocates.

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided safe, supportive care that met people’s needs and enabled them to do the things that mattered to them. Risks relating to people were assessed and managed appropriately. Staff followed assessed risk mitigation measures to support people safely while promoting their independence. People were encouraged to be involved in the assessment and management of risks. Staff told us they had time to read care plans and risk assessments in full, which helped them understand how best to support people to remain safe.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. Appropriate safety and servicing checks were carried out, including those relating to fire safety, portable appliance testing (PAT), gas safety and other areas of environmental safety. Staff completed regular health and safety checks, including monitoring water temperatures and checking window restrictors. An external fire risk assessment had been completed and recommended actions had been addressed. Appropriate Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) were in place and regular fire drills and safety checks were undertaken to help keep people safe.

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.

Recruitment checks included full employment histories, appropriate references and proof of identity. All staff employed directly by the service had completed Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks before commencing employment. The DBS helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevents unsuitable people from working with people who use care and support services.

Staff had completed a range of training, delivered both in person and online, to support them in their roles. Staff were also encouraged and supported to undertake recognised qualifications in health and social care. Staff told us they received regular supervision and felt supported by the management team. However, we noted that some senior staff were overdue for supervision. The registered manager acknowledged this and provided assurance that these would be completed.

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 service had taken action to improve how it managed the risk of legionella within the building. Although the service had previously been in breach for failing to manage these risks effectively, steps had been taken to address the concerns identified. Systems were in place to monitor water safety and manage associated risks, helping to ensure people’s safety. The service also completed monthly infection prevention and control (IPC) audits, which covered a range of areas relating to infection prevention and control. These audits helped identify any issues and supported ongoing improvements to practice and safety. The home was clean and tidy at the time of our visit.

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 were supported to manage their medicines safely. We observed a medicine round and saw staff administering medicines in line with people's assessed needs. Staff who administered medicines had received appropriate training and completed regular competency assessments to ensure they had the skills, knowledge and competence required to administer medicines safely. People had ‘as required’ (PRN) protocols in place, which provided staff with clear guidance on when these medicines should be administered and the circumstances in which they should be used. This helped to ensure people received their medicines safely and consistently.