Gaia Home 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 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. The provider captured lessons learned from incidents and they encouraged members of staff to use reflective practice to improve delivery of care and support. The management team supported members of staff to identify further training and guidance. Spot checks on delivery of care and support were used to review lessons learned and embed improvements.

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. People's needs were assessed before they started using the service and people, and their representatives, were involved in the assessment process. This helped to ensure members of staff had enough information to enable them to meet people’s needs. The provider used information shared by the community social care team develop more detailed care plans for people. This ensured a safe transition into the service.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way for this to be achieved. 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. Policies and procedures were in place to keep people safe and to ensure people’s capacity to make decisions was assessed and recorded. People's relatives told us about the care and support their family members received. One relative said, "[Family member] is happy with the care. It is brilliant. [The provider] is in touch with me if there are concerns; because I [do not live locally], this is really important. It gives me great peace of mind. On one of the days, the carers provide a 2-hour call when they take [family member] out to local places. [Family member] feels very safe in their care.” Members of staff confirmed they knew what to do if they had concerns about harm or abuse. One member of staff told us, "If I suspected abuse I would relay and report my concerns to the management team. Depending on the circumstances I may need to call 999. To keep the people I care for safe, I follow care plans which are specific to each person and look for any changes to care plans. I also abide by the policies and procedures set out. Where appropriate, I would use my initiative to ensure the environment is safe.” 

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs which was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things which mattered to them. Risk assessments were thorough and detailed. Risks were identified and control measures put in place to minimise and mitigate the risk. Care plans were detailed and personalised to each individual. People's preferred routines were included for all care calls and care plans were easy to read and follow. This ensured new members of staff could read a person’s care plan and get to the know them and how they preferred their care to be provided.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. Risk assessments of the environment in people's homes were carried out. This included assessing the risk of using equipment, for example kettles, and then measures were put in place to minimise and mitigate the risk so care and support was provided safely.

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 which met people’s individual needs. Members of staff were recruited safely and their caring practice were reviewed throughout their induction. The management team carried out spot checks to continuously monitor and review caring practice and the quality of care and support provided to people.

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 an infection prevention and control policy in place. People’s care plans contained personal care policies and standard operating procedures which provided details of how personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn and how care should be provided to minimise the risk of cross-infection. Members of staff accessed training about how to prevent and control infections and how to use PPE. One member of staff told us, "Yes, we have access to PPE and we can get more at any time. I have had practical and online training."

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. The provider had a medication administration policy, and protocols were in place for medicines prescribed on an ‘as and when required’ basis. The registered manager regularly audited the administration of medications. Members of staff confirmed they knew what to do if a medication error occurred. A member of staff told us, “When a medicine error occurs, you tell your manager and then complete an incident form and lessons learned form.”