Senacare Ltd - 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. This is the first assessment for this service since their registration in January 2024. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (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.

The provider had systems in place through which people and staff could raise and report safety concerns and events when needed. Managers took appropriate action in response and used the learning from safety concerns and events to help staff improve their working practices and keep people safe.

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.

The provider obtained information about people’s care and support needs and any risks to their safety, before they started to use the service. This information was used to develop individualised care and risk management plans for people. These were shared with staff before they commenced a package of care.

Managers worked with the relevant health and social care professionals to make sure care plans and risk assessments remained up to date with information about people’s current needs and risks to their safety.

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 had no concerns about the staff providing their care and support. A person told us, “I feel safe with the staff. There have been no issues with the staff. It’s all been good, and I have had no concerns.”

Staff received relevant training to safeguard people from abuse. Staff were confident raising and reporting concerns when needed. A staff member told us, “I always stay alert and watch for any signs that someone may be unsafe. I follow safeguarding rules, report concerns straight away to my manager, and make sure people feel comfortable to talk to me.”

The provider worked proactively with the local safeguarding authority when concerns were raised about people. They took appropriate action to implement plans to safeguard people from risk, when needed.

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.

Staff understood how to manage identified risks to people. A person told us, “They keep things out of my way as I’m always falling.” A staff member said, “I read and follow each person’s care plan and risk assessment before providing care.”

The provider made sure staff had access to current information about risks to people’s safety and how these should be managed to keep them safe from harm. They had systems in place to make sure risks to people were assessed, monitored and reviewed at appropriate intervals.

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

The provider assessed potential risks from people’s living environment and put measures in place to reduce these, to keep people safe. They made sure risk management plans were monitored and reviewed at regular intervals to make sure the measures put in place to reduce risks, remained appropriate.

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.

People received care and support from a regular team of staff that worked well together to meet their needs.

Staff undertook regular and relevant training to help them meet people’s needs. The registered manager told us, “All the staff have access to training, and they have to complete this annually. I monitor this.”

Staff were supported to learn and improve in their roles through regular spot checks, supervision and appraisal of their work performance.

There were safe recruitment practices at the service. The provider carried out the necessary checks required on staff that applied to work at the service, to make sure they were suitable to support people.

The provider assessed the risk of infection, but some staff did not always manage this well.

Two relatives told us, on occasions, they had concerns about the standard of cleanliness in their family member’s home. We discussed these concerns with the registered manager after our site visit. The registered manager was aware of the issues and had taken appropriate action to address them. We were assured that these concerns had not impacted on people’s safety or posed a risk when they were being supported with their care needs. The registered manager told us they continued to seek assurances that staff were working in line with standards and national guidance for minimising infection risks, through regular spot checks and observations of staff practice.

People had no concerns regarding staff practices for managing infection risks when providing personal care. Staff had access to supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help them minimise these risks.

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

People consistently received their prescribed medicines. Staff were provided with relevant training and supported to manage and administer medicines safely. Managers undertook spot checks on staff and assessed their competency at regular intervals, to make sure they continued to remain safe and competent to administer and manage people’s medicines.