Heatherton House 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.

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 told us about the systems they had in place to ensure learning took place when things went wrong and how this was shared with the wider staff team. Systems were in place to learn lessons from incidents, complaints and safeguarding concerns so they could be analysed for patterns and trends.

The provider was open and transparent about incidents and accidents that occurred, they were recorded and reported appropriately. Staff told us their learning was continuously updated to ensure people’s changing needs were met.

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.

There were systems in place to ensure people’s needs were assessed before they started using the service. The provider worked with partner agencies to facilitate a planned transition. People had care plans and risk assessments which were based on the assessments completed and these were reviewed and updated when needed.

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 told us they felt safe at Heatherton House Care Home. A visitor said, “[Name of person] is well cared for and safe here.” Staff had received training in safeguarding and understood their responsibility in keeping people safe and reporting concerns about abuse or suspected abuse.

We saw staff were supporting people safely. Deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) were used to ensure people’s safety, together with best interest decisions. The service had made appropriate DoLS applications.

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 were cared for in a safe environment that was designed to support their needs by equipment, adaptations and layout. For example, accessible showers with lighting operating on sensors and movement were provided. There were arrangements to monitor the safety of the premises through regular safety checks, which included fire safety, maintenance and equipment checks. A health care professional told us, “We feel the environment of the home is well laid out and easy to work in. During our visits there are several private spaces where we can set up to provide care that are well lit and always clean.”

Contingency plans were in place, to help plan in case of unprecedented events such as adverse weather conditions, or outbreaks ensuring continued service delivery.

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 were cared for in a safe environment that was designed to support their needs by equipment, adaptations and layout. For example, accessible showers with lighting operating on sensors and movement were provided. There were arrangements to monitor the safety of the premises through regular safety checks, which included fire safety, maintenance and equipment checks. A health care professional told us, “We feel the environment of the home is well laid out and easy to work in. During our visits there are several private spaces where we can set up to provide care that are well lit and always clean.”

Contingency plans were in place, to help plan in case of unprecedented events such as adverse weather conditions, or outbreaks ensuring continued service delivery.

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.

People using the service felt there were enough staff. A visitor said, “Staff are always around.” We received mixed feedback on staffing levels from staff, some staff felt more staff were needed due to people’s variable needs. On the day of our visit there were enough staff and management told us staffing levels were kept under review.

The provider operated safe recruitment practices, which included undertaking appropriate checks such as obtaining references. These helped inform the provider on the suitability of the staff appointed. Staff were supported with their learning and development needs. Staff completed training appropriate to their role and they received supervision to discuss their training needs. Management completed staff competency checks to ensure they worked safely and if they required any further development or support. A health care professional told us, “I have found the senior carers to be extremely knowledgeable.”

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 were administered and stored safely. We checked a random sample of medicines stocks, which corresponded with the balance on the records. Appropriate arrangements for the safe management of controlled drugs were in place. Controlled drugs are drugs that are subject to additional controls as these drugs are ‘dangerous or otherwise harmful.’

People told us they were happy with how their medicines were managed. Staff practice was checked to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported to self-administer their own medicines, where this was appropriate. One person’s care plan reflected they managed their own medicine, which was stored in their room in lockable storage.

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 were administered and stored safely. We checked a random sample of medicines stocks, which corresponded with the balance on the records. Appropriate arrangements for the safe management of controlled drugs were in place. Controlled drugs are drugs that are subject to additional controls as these drugs are ‘dangerous or otherwise harmful.’

People told us they were happy with how their medicines were managed. Staff practice was checked to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported to self-administer their own medicines, where this was appropriate. One person’s care plan reflected they managed their own medicine, which was stored in their room in lockable storage.