Care Champions Support 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 that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.

This is the first assessment for this 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.

The provider used systems to learn from accidents and incidents. Staff and the registered manager recorded incidents and actions taken, applying these lessons during incident management reviews to minimise the risk of reoccurrence. An incident and accident policy was in place that detailed the process of managing incidents and learning from lessons following incidents.

The provider worked with people and professionals to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed and monitored.

Contact details of health professionals were recorded on people’s care plans. Records showed that staff reported when people were not feeling well and health professionals were contacted to ensure people were in the best of health.

The provider captured information as part of the pre-assessment process to determine if the service could support people safely. This included speaking with the referring agency, and the person and their relatives where possible.

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.

A safeguarding plan was in place and included information on how to keep people safe and included information if people were vulnerable due to safety awareness, their backgrounds and how people can be supported to be safe. A safeguarding policy was in place that detailed the types of abuse and how to escalate concerns if staff suspected or saw abuse to ensure people were protected.

Relatives told us that people felt safe when supported by staff. A relative told us, “I know it is safe, the fact that [person] feels safe in those carers hands, I am blessed. Honestly, it is so hard to find good carers.”

Staff knew about safeguarding processes and had received training in this area. A staff member told us, “I got safeguarding training and it is one of the crucial part of training I got. It’s about protecting people, making sure people are safe from abuse. There are many types of abuse like physical. Our job is to make sure people receive the best care. If I suspect abuse, I am going to report it to my manager. We can report to CQC and local authority.”

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

Risks had been identified and completed to ensure people were safe when being supported. People’s health conditions had been recorded with information on what these were including risks associated with the health conditions and how they can be mitigated.

Records showed there were also risk assessments in place associated with each aspect of care being delivered such as with falls management, nutrition and support needs. Manual handling assessments were in place that included any aids people used and the risks associated with these aids.

Risk assessments included the risk identified and information on how to mitigate risks to ensure people received safe care. A staff member told us, “I always look at risks when I go into someone’s house like if someone is at risk of falling, I make sure paths are clear so people do not fall and are safe.”

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment.

The provider completed risk assessments on people’s home environment. Assessments included assessing access to people’s property, external and internal surroundings and any hazards relating to falls and fire safety.

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 had completed key training, which included moving and handling and health and safety. Staff also completed the Care Certificate, which provided a number of mandatory training topics essential to providing safe and effective support to people. Specialist training was also completed, including in key topic areas such as caring for people with a learning disability and epilepsy. The provider used a training matrix to ensure oversight of training. A staff member commented, “I did lots of training like health and safety, moving and handling and medicines. Training was very helpful.” A relative commented, “When we were doing the care plan with the manager my main concern was that the carers should be trained and knowledgeable, it seems that they are. They keep their training updated and everything.”

Staff told us they received training and induction. A staff member told us, “I was properly inducted and given all the training I need for my role. I found the training very well.”

Staff rotas had been completed and were made in advance so people knew the staff that would be available to provide support. Systems were in place to ensure staff attended calls on time. This included completing time sheets, which included times staff members attended calls and the duration of the calls. Audits were completed on time sheets to ensure staff attended calls on time and there were no missed calls. A staff member told us, “My rota is sent from my coordinator, I get sufficient time to attend calls on time. The rota is designed in this way.” A relative told us, “[Staff member] is very professional. [Staff member] is very good and comes on time.” Another relative commented, “Sometimes they are waiting outside ten to fifteen minutes early when I am leaving for work, They are always on time.”

Regular supervisions had been carried out to ensure staff were supported at all times. During these supervisions, training needs and performance were discussed. Staff told us they were supported in their roles. Staff were also able to provide feedback during supervisions. A staff member told us, “[Registered manager] is professional and very supportive.”

The management team carried out relevant pre-employment checks, such as criminal records checks, right to work in the UK, references and proof of the person’s identity had been carried out to ensure staff were of good character.

The provider had an effective approach to assessing and managing the risk of infection, which is in line with current relevant national guidance.

Staff were able to tell us the process of ensuring people were protected from infections such as good hygiene protocols and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Infection control training had been provided to staff. There were also infection control care plans to ensure staff followed good infection control practises and risks associated with infections and how risks could be minimised. A staff member told us, “We do have enough PPE and we have extra stock available all the time. I wear it when I support people.”

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences.

Care plans detailed the medicines people were taking and staff observed for side effects. Records showed that people did not require support with medicine administration. Staff either prompted with medicines or gave blister packs to people to self-administer their medicines. Medicine records were kept ensuring people took their medicines.

Staff had received medicines training and a medicine policy was in place.