Priority Choice Health Care Limited

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 service understood their responsibilities under duty of candour. We saw evidence of the service being open and honest when things went wrong. Team meetings gave staff opportunities to share learning, discuss feedback and recognise compliments. This helped staff reflect on their practice and identify ways to improve people’s experience of care.

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. Detailed referral information covered all areas of people’s care, health and wellbeing. This helped staff understand people’s needs and provide safe, consistent care. We saw examples of care plans being reviewed and updated promptly following a person’s discharge from 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.

Safeguarding and whistleblowing policies were in place to guide staff on how to recognise and report concerns. During supervision, staff were asked about the action they would take if they suspected abuse. This helped check staff understood their responsibilities for keeping people safe. People told us, “I absolutely feel safe, they (staff) are all brilliant.” People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). In homecare services, this is done through the court of protection. The service worked within the principles of the MCA, assessments were detailed, person-centred and decision-specific.

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. People’s care plans were detailed and included guidance for staff on how to manage risks to their health, safety and well-being. Risks were assessed based on people’s individual needs, including where people were at risk of falls. Assessments also considered people’s health conditions. For example, pain assessment tools were used for people living with dementia who may have difficulty telling staff when they were in pain.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. The service had systems in place to identify and manage risks in people’s homes. Detailed environmental risk assessments and personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs) were in place. These considered people’s mobility, their ability to leave their home safely in an emergency and any support they may need. Records showed assessments were reviewed regularly to ensure information remained up to date.

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. Staff were recruited safely, with the required pre-employment checks completed before they started their role. Staff received training across a wide range of topics to help them develop the skills and knowledge needed to meet people’s care needs. One staff member told us, “I have received intensive and comprehensive training, competency assessments, regular training refreshers, supervision and on-going managerial support to ensure I carry out my role safely, confidently and to a high level.

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 infection prevention and control policies in place to help protect people from the spread of infection. Staff understood how to follow safe infection control practices and reduce the risk of infection. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was available to support staff in providing safe care. This helped protect people and staff from the risk of infection. A staff member commented, “Personal protective equipment (PPE) is always available, accessible and re-stocked regularly.”

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 received their medicines safely from staff who had been assessed as competent to administer them. Clear protocols were in place for people prescribed medicines to be taken as and when needed (PRN). These helped staff understand when and how to give medicines safely, based on people’s individual needs. Regular medicines audits were completed, with actions taken and lessons learned to improve future practice.