Valley Care - Sheffield

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. Accidents and incidents were analysed and trends and patterns identified to mitigate future risks. Lessons were learnt taking account of the incident, what worked well and what short comings were identified. A lessons learned action plan was devised and showed what action had been taken to mitigate future risks and what learning had taken place.

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 provider had a hospital grab document which contained relevant information to pass on to hospital staff. When people were admitted to hospital, staff and leaders maintained regular contact to ensure the support package was reinstated when people arrived home. This included making sure appropriate equipment was in place, so there were no delays in care delivery.

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 provider had a safeguarding policy which directed staff to take the appropriate actions when abuse was identified. The registered manager kept a record of safeguarding concerns and identified what action had been taken to keep people safe from harm.

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 associated with people’s care were identified and managed to keep people safe. Staff were knowledgeable about risks and knew how to support people safely. Clear instruction about how to perform these tasks safely were well documented. Staff received competency checks for moving and handling to ensure they carried out tasks safely.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. People had environmental risk assessments highlighting risks in relation to the care environment. Where people required the use of equipment, such as hoists and slings, these were maintained and serviced in line with the manufacturer’s requirements. People and relatives were confident staff could manage their risks safely and told us risk assessments were regularly reviewed.

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. The provider had a recruitment policy to ensure staff were recruited safely and were suitable to work with vulnerable people. New staff received a thorough induction which comprised of training and shadowing experienced workers. A call monitoring system was in place to ensure leaders had oversight of calls taking place. People and relatives were happy with their carers and told us they always arrived on time. One relative said, “The carers always turn up and have never let us down. The times are suitable and my loved one isn’t bothered if it’s male or female carers if they can do the job. They [staff] always listen to what my loved one wants.”

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 and had access to personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons. Staff received guidance in effective hand hygiene and leaders routinely checked staff were carrying out care in line with their infection prevention and control policy. One relative said, “When they are doing personal care, they wear gloves and aprons and I feel fully included in the care plan. The carers always turn up and have never let us down.”

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 received training in medicine administration and had their competencies checked by a member of the management team. Where people required medicines on an ‘as and when’ required basis, these were carefully planned and assessed to ensure they were administered as prescribed. The registered manager completed medicine audits to ensure medicines were administered as prescribed. People and relatives told us staff were competent administering medicines and told us they received their medicines as prescribed. One person said, “I take a lot of medication which the carers support me with, the regular staff are used to the routine.”