Bradbury House

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 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. Accident and incident recording systems were in place with details analysed through an overarching audit, and changes implemented where necessary. The management team showed us this process on the system. The deputy manager told us, “Everything is logged, including any action we’ve taken. This is analysed as part of the management audits.”

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. People had hospital passports in place to ensure when they needed to attend appointments they went smoothly. There were weekly rounds from the local GP surgery to ensure people had the medical support when they needed it. One relative told us, "We had several meetings before [Name] moved in."

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. There were safeguarding policies and procedures in place. Staff had training and were knowledgeable about different types of abuse and of how to protect people from harm. Staff told us, “I’ve done the training. We know to raise any concerns with the manager and if we can’t go to them, then to raise an alert.” There were systems of audit to monitor and analyse safeguarding incidents/investigations. We saw that these were recorded and raised appropriately. There was information around the home of how to raise a safeguarding alert. People told us, "Yes I feel safe and its ok here." A relative told us, “Care is very safe.”

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. Care plans contained detailed risk assessments for people, which informed staff of what people could and couldn’t do safely, as well as their health and care needs. We saw that some people required specific support and equipment at mealtimes and care plans contained full and detailed assessments for staff to manage this. We saw people being supported around the home and people were supported by staff to go out of the home to the local community and within the grounds of the complex. Staff told us, “We allow people to take positive risks. We want to make sure they enjoy themselves, live the life they want and keep their independence. We obviously keep people safe, but they can make their own choices and do their own things.”

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 service was well maintained. There were regular checks and audits in place to ensure that the environment and equipment was safe. The maintenance team told us, “We have a regular system of planned maintenance. Any particular jobs get put in the maintenance book and we do them if we can. If not, we can call in outside professionals.” Staff told us, “I think this is a good home, I’d definitely put a relative here.” A relative told us, "We are happy with this home, [Name] is very safe.”

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. Safe recruitment procedures were in place. We looked at induction folders and training matrix, and staff were confident with the level of training they had received. We observed sufficient staffing numbers. Staff were observed in communal areas, supporting people in a timely manner and attending to people who were in their rooms. We received mixed feedback from people about staffing levels. Staff told us that they felt that the care and support given to the residents was good but sometimes not at a pace that they felt was appropriate. Another staff member told us, “Yes, I think we have enough staff. Feels good, compared to other care homes.” Relatives told us, "There seems to be enough staff although it can take them a long time to answer the call bell." The management team used people dependency tools to ensure there was enough staff on shift to meet people’s needs.

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 seen to be using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Regular cleaning was taking place. There was a cleaning scheduled in place. There were regular Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) audits carried out. There was signage to show when a room had been deep cleaned, and the laundry used the coloured bag system. The service was clean and well maintained. Staff told us, “We have a schedule of cleaning that we do. Everything is on the system, and we record each task. We make sure the home is clean, it’s very important for infection control.”

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. We observed a medication round, and staff were knowledgeable about the medication they were administering, asked people for consent and explained to each person what their medication was for. Staff supporting with medicines had received appropriate training. There was a new electronic system in place and staff were positive about this new system. The deputy manager told us how they carry out medication audits regularly. One relative told us, “They sort out all the medication but give us updates."