Casbrook Home Care Limited

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. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

People told us staff were responsive when incidents or accidents took place. This included when they were unwell and needed additional support, for example if they had a fall and required medical attention.

The provider investigated all incidents and reviewed records to help identify any trends or ways to reduce recurrence. Senior staff followed up incidents with people and stakeholders as appropriate, ensuring people’s care plans were reviewed and updated in response.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. People told us there was continuity of care, including when they moved between different services.

There were effective procedures in place for promoting continuity and safety when people moved from other services, such as hospital discharges. These included obtaining updated information about people’s care needs, medicines, care related equipment and ongoing input from external stakeholders. When people were admitted to hospital, the provider guaranteed they would keep the same care visit schedule when they were ready for care to recommence. This helped to ensure transitions between services were planned safely and reduced the risk of failed hospital discharges.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately with professionals.

People told us they felt safe receiving care from staff. They said staff were diligent in promoting their home security. This including ensuring doors were locked and keys were stored securely after care visits.

The provider had developed safeguarding policies in line with statutory and locally agreed best practice requirements. The manager and staff had a good understanding of their responsibilities in reporting safeguarding concerns to the local authority. This helped to keep people safe.

The provider had effective processes in place to promote people’s personal safety and wellbeing. These included non-entry policies, which helped to account for people’s safety if they were not contactable at agreed care call times.

Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

People’s care plans considered their capacities, choices and abilities to independently manage identified risks. Where required, the provider supported people to make referrals to external agencies to further reduce risks. For example, a person was supported to make a referral to the local fire and rescue service to improve fire safety at their home.

People’s care plans documented how staff could reduce risks around, eating and drinking, skin integrity and mobility. Care records demonstrated any concerns or escalation in risks were referred to appropriate professionals. This helped to ensure people received the right support to keep them safe.

Senior staff were very responsive in ensuring people did not experience delays in care in the event of unforeseen circumstances. They regularly completed care calls in the absence of regular staff, which promoted continuity and safety. There were business continuity plans and senior staff operated an out of hours telephone based ‘on call system’. This helped to ensure the service would run safely in the event of an emergency.

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

Senior staff completed assessments of people’s home environment and care related equipment. People told us they had appropriate care equipment in place and staff were competent in its safe use.

The provider kept records of when equipment was last serviced and who was responsible for the safe upkeep of items. Staff had a good understanding of the safe use of equipment, such as hoists. People’s care plans included detailed instructions of how to operate equipment safely. This helped to reduce risks related to equipment and premises.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development.

People told us they were happy with their staffing arrangements. They said they received their care at the agreed times from staff who were competent in their role. There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and staffing rotas were planned in advance, to promote consistency and continuity in people’s care.

Staff received regular training and ongoing support in their role. Staff told us the provider had acted on their feedback to improve the quality of training. They said the new training courses available were more comprehensive, relevant and interactive. One staff member said, “The training I receive now is definitely a lot better than what it was. It is more engaging and feels more relevant”. This reflected that staff received good quality training and support in their role.

The provider was meeting requirements around ensuring safe staff recruitment processes were in place.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading.

People told us staff followed good infection prevention and control practices. They said staff wore personal protective equipment, such as gloves and aprons whilst providing support with personal care.

Staff told us they had received training in infection control and they had a good understanding of promoting good practice in hygiene and reducing risks around infections spreading.

The provider made sure that medicines were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences.

People told us they were supported to take their medicines as prescribed. Staff had a good knowledge around best practice in medicines administration for community-based settings. They told us they checked medicines before administration to ensure they matched records in people’s care plans. This helped reduce risks related to medicines errors.

People’s care plans included specific instructions related to administration, including time specific medicines. We checked records for people who required their medicines at specific times, and care calls were appropriately scheduled to help ensure these requirements were met.

The provider had clear policies around the level of input they had in the ordering, delivery and disposal of medicines. People’s individual arrangements were documented in their care plans. This helped to ensure it was clear who the provider should contact if there were concerns related to the supply of medicines.