Jays Homecare 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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service 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. For example, 1 person had gone missing from their home. The lessons‑learned showed that discussions took place with the person, staff, and their family. This helped identify practical changes to reduce the risk of this happening again and to improve how the person would be monitored in the future.

The service 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. The registered manager assessed people’s care and support needs prior to starting with the service. This ensured they could meet people’s needs and prepare for a safe and well‑planned transition into the service.

The service 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 service shared concerns quickly and appropriately.

The service had a clear safeguarding policy, and staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people in their care. A staff member told us, “I would consult with my manager, air concerns to them and then go through the policies of who to contact. I would contact the persons social worker or police if it’s that type of concern.” People and their relatives said they felt safe with staff. Comments included, “Yes I do feel very safe” and “Yes [Name] is very safe, they are brilliant with them.”

Records relating to mental capacity assessments and best‑interest decisions had not always been completed. For example, some people had fluctuating capacity, yet capacity assessments had not been carried out. The registered manager acknowledged this and agreed to complete the necessary assessments.

The service 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.

The service undertook a range of risk assessments which were reviewed and updated at regular intervals or when there was a change. Risk assessments considered issues such as the risk of falls, nutrition and more specialist assessments for example, diabetes. Information included guidance for staff about how to minimise any risks to the health and safety of people.

The service 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 and staff understood how to maintain safe home environments.

The service 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.

The registered manager ensured there were adequate staff employed to meet people’s needs and ensure continuity. Safe recruitment practices were in place to ensure suitable staff were employed. Recruitment of staff was done safely and included relevant checks such as Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. DBS checks help providers assess the suitability of individuals for roles, particularly those involving vulnerable people. New staff completed a full induction process as well as completion of their mandatory training and competency checks to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to undertake their duties.

Staff reported that they had sufficient time to support people appropriately. A staff member told us, “There are plenty of clients and plenty of carers to cover everything. We’ve got the managers, and if we are stuck, they would come out and help. That’s something we monitor as well. If carers are consistently running 10 minutes over, we go back to the drawing board and communicate with the council that we need more time with the client. Our staffing levels are good.”

People told us they generally experienced consistency in the staff who supported them. Feedback included, “[Name] has three regular carers,” and “I’m used to the same carers coming every day, with the exception of Monday lunchtime, when the carer is someone different.”

The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. The service demonstrated effective infection prevention and control arrangements. Adequate supplies of Personal protective equipment (PPE) were readily available, and staff received infection control training.

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

Medicines were managed safely, with robust systems in place to reduce risk and ensure people received their medicines as prescribed. Regular audits were carried out to monitor accuracy and compliance. Medication administration records (MARs) were consistently completed, with medicines signed for appropriately and clear recording of administration times and doses.

Staff received training in the safe administration of medicines. The service carried out spot checks and competency assessments to ensure staff continued to follow safe practice.