New Meppershall 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. At our last assessment 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 69 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

When people experienced or communicated emotional distress, this had not always been well documented. This increased the risk of care plans not being updated to reflect how staff could support people most safely and effectively at these times. However, appropriate referrals had been made to external professionals to support people with their emotional wellbeing needs. In response to our concerns, the provider reviewed their systems for recording when people communicated emotional distress and planned to hold a staff workshop to improve how staff documented this. We found where people had experienced accidents such as falls; staff had taken appropriate action, such as seeking medical advice.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care in which safety was managed or monitored. People’s needs had been assessed before being supported by the service. A staff member said that before supporting a person new to the service, they would read and follow their care plans, understand their likes and dislikes and spend time getting to know the person. We saw evidence of appropriate referrals, for example, to dietitians and tissue viability nurses who provide support where there are concerns about people’s skin health.

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 safely and be free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm, and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. Staff had received safeguarding training and could tell us who to report concerns to externally if needed. A staff member said, "I would raise safeguarding concerns to my line manager or the appropriate authorities. If I do not get a response from the Registered Manager, I will enquire about the situation and follow up. I can speak to the local authority, CQC, and police. I feel comfortable raising concerns about safeguarding.” People and relatives felt they/ their relatives were safe. A relative said, “[Family member] is safe here, the staff are good”

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people's needs in a supportive way that enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. Risk assessments and care plans were in place in areas such as people's mobility, where they could experience emotional distress, using call bells and managing hot surfaces and liquids. If people required safety equipment such as safety mats, sensors, and call-bell pendants, these were present. A staff member said, "I have enough time to read the care plans and risk assessment records."

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. Equipment such as hoists and fire alarms had been serviced per requirements. There were effective systems to highlight any safety concerns relating to the environment and ensure action was taken promptly. A staff member said, "If I saw anything unsafe or if the equipment was faulty, I would report this to [maintenance staff] and [head of housekeeping]. They are quick on actioning things." A person said, “It’s quite all right here, I am happy with my room.”

We identified staff had not received training in supporting people living with learning disabilities and Autism. This is a legal requirement under the Health and Care Act 2022. At the time of our assessment, the provider was not supporting people living with a learning disability or Autism, and as such, there had not been any impact on people. In response, the provider made this training available to staff and set a deadline for completion. The provider ensured there were enough staff deployed. People and relatives felt that the staff came without delay when called. A person said, “The staff are pleasant, and there are enough of them.” Staff were recruited safely. Staff had received training relevant to their day-to-day roles. Staff told us, and records showed that they had received regular supervision.

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. Overall, the environment was clean and free from malodour. Staff had access to enough personal protective equipment. Waste was disposed of correctly. The provider regularly audited infection prevention and control practices. A relative said, “I think it is well managed; they do well. The laundry department does a wonderful job.”

We identified discrepancies in 4 people's recent medicine records, which could indicate errors in medicine administration. Where people were prescribed medicines with blood-thinning properties, this had not always been documented in their care plans to highlight potential risks. In response to our findings, the provider updated people's care plans, undertook a full medicines audit, reviewed their auditing systems, arranged for staff to be retrained and reassessed for competency, and supervised staff. Medicines were stored safely. The staff we observed supporting people with medicines did so by seeking consent and explaining to people what medicines they were receiving. People and their relatives did not raise any concerns about the safety of medicines. A relative told us, "Communication's very good. I get told if there are any changes to medication."