Springhill 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.

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 69 (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.

Safety incidents were appropriately investigated and reported, and outcomes shared with the team. Staff had good knowledge about how to identify and escalate concerns and report these appropriately. They told us incidents were discussed in handover meetings as opportunities for learning.

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. When 1 person was admitted into hospital, the provider ensured they received continuity of support from their staff to lessen any risks due to their complex support needs.

Prior to admission, Springhill Care Home aimed to complete assessments to ensure it could meet people’s needs and provide appropriate support. While some people experienced a pre-admission assessment before moving in, others who were transferred directly from hospital told us that the home's assessment was completed shortly after their arrival. One person said, “I came from Burnley General Hospital. They assessed me on arrival here.” Another person explained, “I was in Clitheroe hospital. I was just brought here and assessed when I arrived.”

The registered manager explained, “We prefer to meet people face to face before they move in.” They told us that people discharged from hospital often arrived with a hospital assessment documentation identifying their care and support needs. This information supported a smooth transition, with the home's own assessment then being completed on admission to ensure care plans were personalised and up to date. The registered manager added, “We don’t have failed admissions here.”

Feedback about the admission and transition process was positive overall. One person praised the support they received when moving into the home, saying, “Moving here was made easy by the staff and I feel comfortable and supported.” This demonstrated the management team’s commitment to helping people settle in and feel reassured during what could be a significant life change.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that.

Observations showed people felt safe around staff. People told us, “I feel safe with the staff, they are nice. I have no concerns about staff conduct. If I did, I would talk to one of the managers when they are walking by.” And “I couldn't be safer. I am totally reliant on the staff, and they move me around with great care.”

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. One staff member told us, “We want people to be safe, and we want it to be easy for them to report abuse.”

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.

Assessment tools were completed to identify level of risk, and there was evidence of monthly reviews, around health concerns such as skin integrity, choking and weights. These were reviewed when required and risk controls were amended if required. For example, when 1 person’s behaviour indicated bed rails were no longer safe, alternative support was offered and records updated.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

There was a fire risk assessment, and regular fire drills to help manage the risks around fire, ensuring staff had good knowledge of fire safety procedures. Every person had a personal emergency evacuation plan (PEEP). The purpose of a PEEP is to ensure staff knew the support people needed to evacuate the building safely and promptly in the event of an emergency, regardless of their level of mobility or other health conditions.

Equipment was available and maintained to meet people’s needs. Fire equipment, lifting equipment and electrical safety checks were completed as required by regulations such as Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development.

We received mixed feedback from people on suitable staffing levels. One person told us, “Sometimes when you buzz for staff, it can be 20 minutes before they come. We could do with some more staff.” A relative said, “They need more staff. [Family member] calls them when they need the toilet. They have had to wait 20 minutes for them, and this gets them distressed.” However, a visitor told us, “There always appears to be the staff to give my friend the care they need.” A staff member on 1 unit told us, “Staffing was fine, we don’t rush residents.” However, on another unit staff said they needed additional support at mealtimes due to people requiring additional support.

We discussed staffing levels with the regional manager who stated they used a staff dependency tool to work out how many staff are required within the home. A staff dependency tool is a tool that helps measure individual needs and converts those needs into the staff hours and skill mix needed to provide support.

The provider followed recruitment procedures to ensure all required checks were completed before staff started work at the service. Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks were carried out. DBS checks provide information about convictions and cautions held on the police national computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

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.

People were supported in an environment that was clean and hygienic. The housekeeping team worked to maintain cleanliness in all areas of the service. Personal protective equipment was available throughout the home, and we saw staff used this appropriately.

Springhill Care Home had a food hygiene rating of 5 (out of 5). This meant hygiene standards were very good.

The provider made sure most medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened.

On day 1 of this assessment food and drink thickener was not always stored safely, as required to prevent accidental ingestion and potentially fatal choking. When we visited on day 2 thickeners were stored safely. One treatment room had not consistently recorded the room and fridge temperatures. Monitoring the temperature in treatment rooms and fridges is essential to ensure medicines are being stored at the correct temperatures. The management put processes in place to ensure consistent oversight of the room temperature.

People received their medicines as prescribed, administered by staff who knew them well. If people took medicines on an “when required” basis, written instruction to help staff identify when these should be administered was available.

Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened and promoted people’s independence through the self-administration of medicines.

There were appropriate arrangements for the ordering and disposing of medicines and these were known by staff. A variety of regular medicines audits were carried out, and processes were in place so action could be taken against any concerns noted and to minimise the risk of re-occurrence.