Equal People Mencap

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. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment, the rating has remained 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.

There was a learning culture. Staff reported accidents, incidents and complaints. Managers investigated these and created plans to improve the service based on learning. Managers met with staff and people using the service to discuss when things went wrong so they could be involved in making improvements. Managers updated care plans, risk assessments and organised retraining for staff when needed.

There were systems to ensure safe transitions between services. The provider carried out assessments with people and their relatives before they started using the service. This helped to ensure they could meet people’s needs. Staff worked with other professionals and agencies to help make sure there was joined up care. Staff supported people to access healthcare appointments and provided support for some people when they were admitted to hospital. This helped make sure external professionals understood people’s needs. The provider worked closely with a community nurse to develop ‘hospital passports’ for people. These were documents which described how people communicated and about their needs. This helped to make sure anyone involved in providing care for people had easy to access information about them. Relatives told us the provider had supported people with transitions including moving house.

There were systems to help safeguard people from abuse. Staff completed training to understand about safeguarding adults and children. There were suitable procedures and these had been translated into easy to understand and read documents making them accessible for people using the service. Staff were able to tell us how they would recognise and report abuse. Managers understood their responsibilities to help safeguard people from avoidable harm. Managers worked with other professionals, including safeguarding teams, to report, investigate and respond to allegations of abuse. People and their relatives told us they felt safe with the staff.

The provider assessed and planned for risks to people’s safety and wellbeing. Staff worked with people and their relatives to identify risks. They created plans to support people to be independent and take risks when this was appropriate. Risk assessments were regularly reviewed and updated.
Some people expressed their anxiety in ways that placed them or others at risk. Staff worked with external professionals to understand this and helped develop personalised support plans which minimised risks and empowered people to express themselves in a positive and safe way. People and their relatives told us they thought risks were well managed.

The provider assessed people’s home environments and equipment they used. They worked with people, their relatives and landlords to identify any risks. They supported people to access services to address any risks and ensure their homes were safe and suitable to meet their needs. Staff made referrals to other agencies when they identified people may benefit from adaptations or new equipment.

There were enough staff to support people and meet their needs. People told us they were usually cared for by the same familiar staff. They told us staff arrived on time and met their needs. A person commented, “It works really well. I have never felt rushed.”

There were suitable procedures for recruiting new staff including checks on them. People using the service and managers carried out staff interviews. Staff completed an induction and a range of training. Managers assessed staff competencies and skills to make sure they provided safe and appropriate care.

There were systems to help prevent and control infections. The provider had suitable procedures and staff undertook training to understand these. Staff were provided with personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons to use when needed.

People were provided with the support they needed to take their medicines. Some people managed their own medicines. The provider assessed this and supported people to understand how to do this safely. Staff completed training to understand how to manage medicines in a safe way. Staff worked with other professionals to make sure medicines were right for people, and these were regularly reviewed. Staff kept records to show when they supported people with medicines. Managers audited these. There were systems to investigate and respond to any medicines related errors.