Chasewater Mews

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 inspection for this service under a new provider. 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. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

People told us they felt safe living in the home and were confident voicing any concerns or raising a complaint. One person said, “I feel safe living here. I know how to complain. If I was not happy, I would speak with staff.”

Staff told us how they responded appropriately to incidents and accidents. One staff member said, “We have handovers where we discuss any accident or incident. The provider also sends out memos to inform us [staff] of any changes.”

Incidents and accidents were reviewed to identify any patterns or recurring themes, and lessons learnt were shared with staff during team meetings and handovers.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored.

Staff told us about the importance of getting to know people well, especially when they were new to the service. One staff member said, “When someone new moves into the home, we [staff] read their care plan, and their needs are discussed in handovers. It's important to get to know the person well.”

Risks to people were effectively managed through safe practices. Initial assessments were carried out for people newly moving into the service, and ongoing reviews ensured their needs continued to be appropriately monitored. One relative shared how the provider assessed their family member's needs before admission into the service, to ensure those needs could be appropriately met. They went on to say, “The staff here really look after [my family member].”

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to keep people safe, and staff protected people’s right to live in safety, free from avoidable harm and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately.

People told us how staff supported them safely. One person said, “I feel safe, they [staff] look after me here." Another person told us, “Staff are very good, friendly and will do anything for you. I know I can speak to them if I am concerned.”

Staff told us they received safeguarding training, and they knew how to report any concern. One staff member said, “I have completed safeguarding training, abuse is not to be tolerated. I would pass on any concern to the registered manager. If they [registered manager] did not act, I'd take it further up or report to the safeguarding team.” A different member of staff explained the indicators of abuse they look for.

The provider conducted investigations into concerns and referred safeguarding issues to the appropriate authorities when required.

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 told us they felt supported by staff when carrying out everyday tasks. One person spoke about the help they received from staff with their mobility needs, and a relative highlighted how staff always kept mobility aids close to their family member for easy access.

Staff told us how they respected people’s choices and decisions. One staff member said, “Some people smoke it's their choice. We respect people’s choice.”

We observed people enjoying unrestricted access to the gardens and easy mobility around the home thanks to open doors and a readily available lift. While it was a bright, sunny day, we did observe some people were outside without sun hats, and daily records did not indicate if sunscreen had been used. The provider responded to our feedback by updating people’s risk assessments and sending a memo out to all staff reminding them of the importance of protecting people from potential risks from hot weather.

Care plans and daily notes were in place to manage risks relating to people's health and risk assessments were in place to manage and mitigate risks relating to people's care needs.

The provider did not always detect and control potential risks in the care environment.

The provider completed internal health and safety assessments and commissioned external companies to conduct safety checks, including fire equipment testing. However, during our visit, we observed exposed pipes in 1 bathroom and a bedroom door that did not fully close. Covering exposed pipes is important to prevent burn injuries, and fully closing doors are necessary to ensure safety in the event of a fire. The provider responded to our feedback by covering the exposed pipes and fixing the door.

People told us they lived in a safe environment. However, 1 person told us they could not rest fully due to excessive noise from doors banging. We tested the doors and noted they closed with a loud bang. The provider responded to our feedback by ordering slow-closing brackets and explained these would be fitted to the doors. This was completed before the end of this inspection.

We observed staff using moving and handling equipment safely and storing equipment away.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff on duty. Staff worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

People told us there were enough staff available and they felt well-supported without having to wait a long time. One person said, “Staff are nice, they come when I call them.” Another person told us, “Staff are lovely they work ever so hard. The staff can't do enough for me.”

Staff generally told us staffing levels were adequate. One staff member noted a recent increase in staff numbers, which had made a positive difference. Another staff member highlighted the strength of teamwork among staff on duty. However, a member of the night team said having an additional staff member during night shifts would be beneficial.

We observed staff responding quickly to people when they requested assistance and we observed staff taking their time to sit and talk with people.

Staff told us they received comprehensive training and ongoing support. A training matrix was used to track completed courses and identify when refresher courses were due.

To maintain appropriate staffing levels based on people’s needs, the provider utilised a dependency assessment tool. A dependency assessment tool is used to match the right number of staff with the right level of care.

Recruitment practices were robust, with records confirming that all required pre-employment checks were carried out to ensure only suitable staff were appointed to work with people.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of infection spreading.

People told us they lived in a clean environment. One person said, “My room is nice, the staff help me keep it clean.”

Staff told us about the importance of infection control training. One staff member said, “I have done COSHH training [Control of Substances Hazardous to Health] this is important as we work with a lot of chemicals."

We observed staff cleaning areas of the home, including touch point surfaces and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) when required.

The provider carried out regular audits and checks of the environment, ensuring the home was clean and well maintained.

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

People told us they received their medicines safely. One person said, “I can ask the nurse to help me, I suffer something terrible with [health condition]. The nurses will give me something to help [relieve the symptoms]. I'm safe living here.”

We observed staff administering people’s medicines safely and staff told us they received safe medicine administration training and wound training. One staff member said, “The wound training was very good, the trainer drew on past experiences which helped us learn and understand.”

People were offered pain relief medication, in accordance with their preferences and health professional guidance. Medicines, including controlled drugs, were stored safely and recorded appropriately.