Reliance Community Care Limited Bradford

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 newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 78 (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 effective systems in place to ensure that incidents and accidents were managed safely and appropriately. Staff completed detailed accident and incident forms and followed the provider’s reporting procedures consistently. Records we reviewed were thorough and clearly documented what had occurred, the immediate actions taken, and any follow-up required.
Staff demonstrated strong knowledge of the reporting process, and we saw evidence that incidents were escalated to management promptly. This ensured that potential risks were identified and responded to without delay, helping to prevent further harm.
Management reviewed all incidents and took steps to identify patterns or recurring issues. Where necessary, additional support or training was provided to staff to reduce the likelihood of incidents happening again. This showed a proactive approach to maintaining safety and promoting learning across the team.

Safe systems and pathways were in place to support effective care planning and delivery. The provider carried out robust pre-assessments before starting care packages, ensuring people’s needs could be safely met. Information gathered was used to inform initial risk assessments and develop person-centred care plans.
The service also had effective procedures for managing hospital discharges. Staff maintained good communication with hospital teams, enabling smooth transitions and ensuring care could begin promptly upon discharge, reducing the risk of unmet needs.
These systems supported safe, coordinated care, and staff were clear on their roles in ensuring people received the right support at the right time.
 

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.
The provider had a clear safeguarding system in place, including a safeguarding matrix to track incidents, actions taken, and lessons learned. Referrals were made appropriately to the local authority, and notifications were submitted to the Commission when required.
Staff were trained in safeguarding and confidently described how they would identify and report concerns. All staff demonstrated a clear understanding of their responsibilities in keeping people safe.
 

The provider had robust and effective systems in place for assessing, managing, and reviewing risks to people’s health, safety, and wellbeing. Risk management was embedded in the culture of the service and people’s independence, rights, and choices were upheld while keeping them safe.
Each person had a comprehensive set of risk assessments tailored to their individual needs, covering areas such as mobility, medication, nutrition, skin integrity, and environmental safety. These were detailed, person-centred, and regularly reviewed to remain reflective of people’s current circumstances.
Staff were highly knowledgeable about the risk assessments in place and confidently applied them in practice. They understood the importance of balancing safety with independence and spoke about risk management in a way that reflected genuine respect for people’s rights to make informed decisions.
Risk assessments were living documents, regularly reviewed and promptly updated following any incidents or changes in need. This ensured support remained responsive, relevant, and aligned with people’s evolving goals and preferences.
 

The provider had effective systems in place to assess and manage environmental risks within people’s homes. Detailed environmental risk assessments were completed for each person and provided clear, practical guidance to staff on how to navigate and reduce any identified hazards. These included considerations such as trip hazards, safe use of equipment, and access within the home environment.
People told us they felt safe receiving care in their homes. They said staff were knowledgeable, handled equipment safely, and were respectful of their living spaces. Staff had received appropriate training and were confident in identifying and managing environmental risks during care delivery.
These measures helped ensure that both staff and people using the service were protected from avoidable harm, while enabling care to be delivered in a safe and comfortable setting.
 

Staffing at the service was exceptionally well managed to ensure people received safe, consistent, and person-centred care in their own homes. There were always enough suitably skilled and experienced staff available to meet people’s needs, and rotas were organised to prioritise continuity of care. People and their relatives consistently praised the reliability of the service and the familiarity of the staff providing their care. One person told us, “It’s very rare the carer changes, it’s beneficial that I have the same carers.” A relative told us, “During the transition there were no care workers who spoke Urdu, but the manager went out of their way to recruit carers who spoke Urdu.”
We found the provider had a proactive and tailored approach to staff training and development. They went beyond standard training requirements to ensure that staff, including those newly recruited from overseas, were fully equipped to provide high-quality care. Additional training was provided on communication skills and cultural awareness to support international staff, alongside enhanced face-to-face training sessions to reinforce practical learning and build staff confidence. This bespoke training approach ensured all staff felt prepared and supported in their roles, which directly benefited the people they cared for.
The provider’s recruitment practices were rigorous and consistently applied, with all necessary pre-employment checks completed before staff commenced work. This ensured only suitable and safe individuals were employed to deliver care.
Staff were not only well-trained but also well-supported. Regular supervisions, spot checks, and performance reviews were carried out to a high standard and used effectively to promote continuous improvement. Staff told us they felt valued, supported, and encouraged to develop professionally.
 

The provider had effective infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in place. Regular spot checks were carried out to monitor staff practice, including compliance with the uniform policy and IPC procedures.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) was readily available and used appropriately by staff. People using the service told us they had no concerns about staff conduct regarding hygiene or infection control and felt safe receiving care in their homes.
These measures helped to ensure that the risk of infection was minimised and that staff consistently followed safe working practices.
 

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened.
People received their medicines safely and on time, and both people and their relatives told us they had no concerns about how medicines were managed. Staff responsible for administering medication were up to date with training and had regular competency checks to ensure safe practice.
Medication Administration Records (MARs) were completed consistently. Where occasional gaps in the records occurred, such as when a person was admitted to hospital or cancelled a care call, these were clearly explained and documented through the audit process.
Medication audits were in place and completed for all care records we reviewed. These were detailed and thorough, identifying missed signatures, evaluating the effectiveness of protocols, and highlighting areas for improvement. Where a need for improvement was identified, actions to address this were followed up to strengthen medication practices, demonstrating that the service had a robust oversight and a clear commitment to safe medicines management.