Crestar Healthcare Ltd North East

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. The registered manager reflected on incidents, looked for learning, and took action to prevent them from happening again in future. Staff were knowledgeable and reported incidents and changes effectively to ensure people were made safe and actions taken to improve care and support.

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. There was a policy and procedure in place should people have to go to hospital, and timely referrals to other services when health needs changed. This meant people’s changing health needs would be supported and ensured better continuity of care for their needs.

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 safely, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. There were systems and processes to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Staff received safeguarding training to identify abuse and told us they knew how to report incidents of concern. People said they felt safe, staff turned up without fail and were trusted to use key safes and doors were locked after calls.

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 using the service and staff were involved in supporting people to understand and manage risks to ensure their care was safe and supportive. Risk assessments were in place to manage risks to people, a contingency plan was in place for emergencies, and there was training to ensure staff understood these risks. Staff told us they would notify the managers and update the care planning system immediately in the event of a change and we saw evidence of this.

There were systems in place to detect and manage potential risks in the home environments to make sure equipment, facilities, and technology supported the delivery of safe care. A person who uses specialist moving and handling equipment and their relative told us, “They need support from 2 carers. They appear to be well-trained, and they look safe when they use the hoist, they have never complained.” We saw the provider had ensured the equipment was serviced appropriately to keep the person 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. There were safe recruitment systems in place, with good support provided to staff on a sponsorship employment contract. There was a consistent staff team which people really valued. Staff knew the people they supported well and felt they had been trained well to provide support.

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. There was an Infection Control Policy (IPC) in place, staff had completed training and had access to ample stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE). The registered manager performed spot checks to ensure staff were using PPE safely. People told us their staff wore PPE to keep them safe. One person told us, “I always get the same 2 carers. They wash their hands and wear gloves before administering my medication. I think they are careful and aware I am at risk of infection.”

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. People were involved in their medicines administration and consent was sought prior to administration. The provider had systems in place to check on the medication processes and administration to ensure the standards were met. Staff were trained and checked to ensure they were competent at administering medicines.