GoodOaks Homecare - Horsham and Crawley

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.

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. Staff documented concerns or incidents involving people and escalated them to the management team appropriately. A staff member explained, “I record any accidents or incidents in the incident form and in the daily notes, and I report them to the office or manager straight away. If I have a safety concern, I raise it immediately so action can be taken, for example reporting a fall, a change in behaviour, or a hazard in the home.” The electronic care management (ECM) system flagged incidents to the registered manager who investigated and where required, updated risk assessments and sought professional input. Incidents were logged to monitor trends and any lessons learned or changes in practice was shared with staff.

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 registered manager liaised with healthcare professionals to ensure people received a continuity of care. For example, a person had sustained damage to their pressure areas when in hospital, the registered manager obtained contact details for the designated district nursing team and ensured staff followed the treatment plan. An emergency ‘grab sheet’ was developed for each person in case paramedics or other health professional required information about people. The grab sheet included details, such as, medical histories and allergies.

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 described feeling safe and content with staff. Staff received safeguarding training and followed the provider’s policy; they demonstrated their knowledge in what constituted abuse and who they would report their concerns to within the company and to external bodies if needed. A staff member told us, “I would report any concerns to my manager or safeguarding lead straight away, and if needed it would be reported to social services, the local safeguarding team, or the police.” There had not been any safeguarding concerns to escalate, however, the registered manager understood their responsibilities and provided examples of what they would report and who to.

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. Risk assessments were in place where people required equipment to support them. For example, catheter risk assessments and associated care plans detailed how to prevent complications and what to do if there were any issues. Staff received clear, step by step guidance on how to safely support people who required moving and positioning equipment. Staff told us care plans were informative, a staff member commented, “They contain enough information for me to safely support them (people). I have provided feedback to the office staff when the client needs have changed. For example, when one of the client's was testing out a new pad and medication, I would always report back the feedback from the client.”

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 initial assessment process included an environmental risk assessment which highlighted potential hazards. The registered manager told us how they had identified fire hazards within a person’s home and, with consent, had arranged for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service to support them to increase fire safety. Staff checked people’s homes daily to limit safety concerns. A staff member told us, “Floors are left unobstructed and houses are regularly tided by the carers.”

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. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs, however, a staff member told us they frequently covered shifts on their days off, the management team covered gaps in schedules due to some short-term sicknesses. Staff received travel time to ensure people did not feel rushed when they were supporting them. Staff were recruited safely; pre-employment checks were conducted prior to staff commencing care duties. Staff received relevant training alongside competency assessments to assure the management team they were suitable to support people. A person told us, “They are absolutely well trained. Usually before new carers start, they (managers) take them round shadowing so they don’t just plunge them straight into the work, they are very well trained and know exactly what they should be doing. New carers are usually teamed up with a more experienced one.” A staff member said, “If I needed any further training I already know the office is there to support me to discuss any training needs, and there is also online training as a refreshment which keeps my knowledge up to date with current policies, procedures and practices.”

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. Staff were provided personal protective equipment (PPE), received training and followed the provider’s policy to prevent the spread of infection. People told us staff respected their homes and always left their homes clean and tidy. A person said, “They clean up after themselves, they wear aprons and gloves when washing me.”

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. The registered manager conducted assessments to ascertain how much support people required with their medicines. Where time specific medicines were prescribed, for example, medicines for Parkinson’s disease, these were carefully considered and measures were in place to empower people to administer their own medicines safely. Staff received training in how to administer and record medicine administration in line with the provider’s policy. Medicine administration records for topical creams did not always contain enough detail for staff to know where the creams needed to be applied. However, people’s care plans included the use of creams and were clear where application was needed. We discussed this with the registered manager who told us they would update the medicine records.