Acer Healthcare Northwood & Ruislip

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.

There were systems to learn from things that had gone wrong, such as accidents, incidents and complaints. Staff reported these. Managers carried out investigations, involving people and their relatives. Relatives confirmed the provider was honest and had made improvements when these were needed. Managers analysed individual incidents and whether there were any common themes from these. They shared the learning with staff through training, meetings and regular written communication.

There were systems to help people have safe transitions between services. The provider carried out thorough assessments before people started using the service. They liaised with people’s representatives and professionals involved in their care to make sure they had the information they needed to provide safe care. Managers told us that they had recently held a multidisciplinary meeting with a hospital discharge team and a person’s family to discuss a person’s move back home.

The provider created ‘hospital passports’ for each person. These were documents which outlined how people communicated, information about their health and other areas which were important for people involved in their care to know. These documents were accessible for people to use when visiting hospital or receiving care from unfamiliar professionals.

There were systems to help safeguard people from abuse. These included clear policies and procedures, training for staff and regular discussions with staff about how to recognise and report abuse. Staff had a good knowledge of this. There had not been any safeguarding concerns at the service. However, the provider had robust systems for dealing with these. They also carried out a review of systems and staff knowledge during regular audits.

People using the service and their relatives told us they felt safe and trusted staff. A relative commented, “We have no worries about safeguarding. If I had concerns, I know I should speak with managers.”

The provider assessed and recorded any restrictive practices as part of their care planning. These were discussed with people and their relatives. Restrictions were only in place when this was agreed by the person or was agreed in their best interests by their representatives.

There were systems to manage risks. The provider discussed risks with people and their relatives. They carried out thorough assessments and created plans to manage risks. The provider used approved best practice tools to help analyse when people were at risk and how best to support them. The provider had assessed situations where people expressed their anxiety in ways that placed them or others at risk. They discussed what interventions helped people to feel safe and supported. They made sure care plans gave clear guidance to staff. Staff monitored people’s wellbeing and reported any concerns to relatives and managers. Risk assessments and plans were regularly reviewed and updated.

Staff completed a range of training, including how to support people to move in a safe way, understanding how to use equipment and providing safe skin care. People and their relatives told us risks were well managed. Their comments included, “[Person] is prone to falls. Staff did an assessment. They keep [person] as safe as possible” and “Care workers let [person] do things independently. But they are close by to provide help if needed.”

The provider supported people to stay safe in their living environments. They assessed risks and the equipment people used as part of their initial assessment and regular reviews. They shared concerns with people, their relatives and landlords to ensure risks were mitigated. The provider made sure people had safe systems for fire safety and made recommendations when they identified a risk. Relatives told us staff alerted them to any safety concerns within the environment during each visit. A relative commented, “They let me know when there was a leak in the bathroom.” The provider’s procedures ensured staff carried out a safety check during each visit and when they left people. They were reminded to act on any concerns they identified.

There were enough staff to keep people safe and meet their needs. The provider allocated a small team of regular care workers to support each person. People and their relatives told us there was good continuity of care. They explained care workers arrived on time and stayed for the agreed visit length. They told us they knew the care workers who supported them and had good relationships with them. Their comments included, “The continuity is amazing. All the staff are good”, “There are never missed calls. They are flexible when we need and are always here for their allocated times” and “The consistency is really important, and we feel it is well managed.”

There were systems to ensure staff were suitable during recruitment. The provider carried out a number of checks and invited staff for face-to-face interviews. Staff completed an induction which included training and shadowing senior care workers. Managers regularly assessed their competencies and skills. All staff attended regular training updates, meetings with the management team and appraisals of their work.

There were systems to help prevent and control infections. These included clear procedures, training for staff and audits by the management team. The staff explained they were provided with protective equipment such as gloves and aprons. Relatives confirmed staff used these and followed good hygiene practices. Requirements for infection prevention and control were included in care plans, which personalised guidance for staff to follow. Managers conducted spot check observations of staff caring for people. These checks included assessing compliance with infection prevention and control procedures and good hand hygiene.

People received their medicines safely and as prescribed. Some people managed their medicines independently. When staff supported people, there were clear care plans, assessments and processes for the staff to record the support they had provided. Managers checked this to make sure people received their medicines and staff followed plans. Staff completed training to understand how to manage medicines. Managers carried out assessments of their competencies, knowledge and skills.

People and their relatives told us they were happy with the support they received with medicines. Their comments included, “Care workers help with the ordering and collecting. They keep medicines secure”, “Care workers remind and supervise [person] to take their medicines” and “If there are any changes or concerns with medicines, the care workers let me [relative] know.”