The Halewood Centre

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 inspection we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained 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 understood the importance of reporting incidents and concerns, and incident logs showed that events were identified, recorded and reviewed. Leaders shared learning through reminders, additional training and system changes.

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.

Referrals were only accepted when minimum documentation was in place, including Care Act assessments and mental capacity or best‑interest decisions where required. Daily multidisciplinary huddles supported timely reviews and reduced the risk of people receiving inappropriate or excessive support. When care transferred to another provider, clear handovers were completed to ensure continuity and safety.
 

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.

Staff understood their safeguarding responsibilities and concerns were raised promptly. Safeguarding records showed appropriate escalation to external agencies and evidence that concerns were closed appropriately. Safeguarding themes were linked to wider risks such as medication errors, self‑neglect and unsafe environments, demonstrating a holistic approach to protecting people.

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.
Care planning focused on reablement, independence and proportional risk‑taking. Risks such as falls, infection and reduced mobility were identified and managed with appropriate equipment and support, without being overly restrictive. People were supported to understand their journey through the service and to make informed decisions about ongoing care.
 

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.
Environmental risk assessments were completed, and staff contacted appropriate services to ensure equipment was put in place where required, such as lifelines, grab rails and shower chairs. Risks linked to poor home conditions were identified and addressed through safeguarding processes and referrals, helping to reduce avoidable harm. The provider also supported people by installing temporary life lines and keys safes to avoid delays in care provision.
 

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.
Roles and responsibilities were clearly defined, and a capacity planner was used to ensure the service did not accept referrals beyond staffing capacity. Recruitment records demonstrated safe recruitment practices. Staff were up to date with training.
 

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 had access to mandatory training, including hand hygiene and infection prevention. There was access to Personal Protective Equipment [PPE].
 

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.
Medicines systems were in place and medication incidents were identified, reported and reviewed. Medication‑related incidents were low risk and resulted in no harm. Safeguarding concerns were raised appropriately when risks increased. The service was transitioning to an electronic medication system, which was expected to improve oversight.