Short Term Assessment & Reablement Team (START - London Borough of Sutton)

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 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

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 were safe with the staff team providing their care and support. One person told us, “I feel safe with the carers. I find them very helpful. I don’t feel pressured or rushed. It’s good.” A relative said, “I love the carers. They are so good with [family member]. He is very calm because they are so calm, and he feels really safe with them, and he lets them help him.”

Staff understood their duty to safeguard people. They knew what action to take to make sure any concerns were reported promptly to the relevant people and agencies. A staff member told us, “Safeguarding is like neglect, and you have to raise the alarm to a senior and then we follow the procedures.”

Managers understood their responsibility to make timely referrals when concerns were raised with them and took appropriate action to make sure people were safeguarded from further risk.

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 were supported to stay safe when they received care and support from staff. One person told us, “[Staff member] comes at 8am and helps me to dress, if I want to do that, and they make sure I don’t fall because my legs are very weak…I am never pushed to do anything and I am always safe.” A relative said, “The carers understand [family member’s] condition and they provide personal care, and she is safe. It makes all the difference because she doesn’t know who I am now, so providing personal care would be really difficult and they are really good at it.”

People’s records contained information about risks to their safety and how these should be managed to keep people safe from harm. Managers monitored and reviewed safety risks to people and checked staff remained competent to support people safely. The registered manager told us, “We are fortunate to have a moving and handling trainer here and they have all the equipment on site that staff can be trained on, to meet any new need. The trainer assesses the staff’s competencies and will identify any staff that can’t meet these needs.”

We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

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 worked in teams across the London Borough of Sutton. Each staff team covered a specific geographical area. This meant people living within these areas received care and support from the same core group of staff. One person told us, “I mostly have the same carer, and she is so good. She is always smiling, and we always have time to chat. I like seeing her, she is so helpful to me.” A relative said, “We do see a lot of different carers, but a number of them come regularly and they are very patient and very conscientious.” One person told us they had experienced a number of changes to the staff attending their care calls. They said, “I’ve had lots of different carers. So many changes. They do try to tell me who is coming next, but so many people.” Despite the changes in staff, the person’s feedback indicated they had no concerns about their safety or the quality of the care and support they received from staff that attended their care calls.

Staff undertook training relevant to their roles. Managers made sure this was refreshed at regular intervals to make sure staff remained suitably skilled to provide people with their care and support needs. Staff were supported through a programme of supervision and appraisal to learn and improve in their roles.

There were safe recruitment practices at the service. The provider undertook the necessary checks required to make sure staff that applied to work at the service were suitable and fit to support people.

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.