Birch Hill Care Centre

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.

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 and make improvements. Learning was shared with other services operated by the provider.

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 access to a range of health and social care professionals when needed. Documents were in place to support people when they moved between care services. Hospital passport style documents were available in a ‘grab pack’ for emergency admissions. A healthcare professional said, “There is always good communication with the staff, they have a good relationship with the GP and pharmacist. Staff are really attentive to people and very friendly to professionals.”

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. Staff completed safeguarding training and the registered manager recently introduced safeguarding competency checks, to ensure the training was effective. The staff we spoke to knew how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment with appropriate legal authority. In care homes this can be done through a procedure called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People who were subject to DoLS were appropriately cared for. DoLS applications were made when required and the service followed the safeguards that were put in place.

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.

Risks to people’s health, safety and welfare had been assessed. Risk assessments were detailed, person-centred and effective at reducing risk.During the assessment we observed staff supporting people in line with their risk assessment, such as support around eating suitably textured food.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

Environmental risk assessments were in place to protect staff and people. The environment was clean and homely. People could freely access an enclosed garden at any time. The provider continually considered ways to improve the environment including a recent upgrade to the kitchen. There was signage in place to help people navigate around the service. Doors which people could only access with staff support, such as the kitchen door, were painted the same colour as the wall to help avoid confusion.

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.

Staff, people and relatives said there were enough staff available to support people safely. Staff were recruited in line with best practice guidance and were up to date with required training. Staff had regular supervisions with their managers, a staff member said, “You can take anything to [supervisions sessions] and they will sort it out.”

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.

Appropriate infection control procedures and policies were in place. Staff had received training and were observed using personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriately. The service was very clean and tidy; housekeeping staff were efficient.

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.

The service had an effective medicines administration system. All care staff were trained to administer medicines, and their competencies were regularly checked to ensure their practice remained safe. Regular medicines audits took place to ensure any issues were identified and dealt with quickly. Staff felt well supported through training and observed practice. One staff member said, “Medication support (for staff) is really good, as is the training.”