St Anne's Community Services - York DCA

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 81 (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 strong proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and complete honesty. Staff actively listened to concerns about safety and thoroughly investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were always learned to continually identify and embed good practice.

The management team and staff ensured that safety was always a priority for people, and there was a strong culture of learning which had become embedded within the service. Staff robustly considered possible risks to people and implemented up to date assessments, which staff continuously monitored and reviewed. Staff supported people with positive risk taking, and people were supported in a way which maximised their independence whilst having people’s safety at the heart of the support provided.

Staff were encouraged to raise any safety concerns and there were multiple channels for them to do so. Learning from incidents was promoted within meetings, huddles and staff supervisions and reviews. Safety incidents were addressed openly, fairly and effectively. The management team involved staff in reviewing incidents to establish what could be done better.

The provider had a clear culture of sharing learning from safety events and ensuring staff had the most up to date knowledge around key safety risks. The provider analysed key safety areas across its services monthly, including areas such as falls and choking incidents. The provider then produced ‘learning briefings’, which set out its findings, learning from the analyses, and provided key information with team tasks to be completed. These briefings were robust, clear and insightful, and supported provider-wide learning and development in key safety areas.

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.

Staff and the management team worked well with other services to ensure people could safely access healthcare settings. Staff had created ‘emergency admission packs’ for people. These packs contained key relevant information about people’s needs, and was documented in a clear, accessible format that was readily available for other professionals when needed. When people accessed other healthcare settings, staff ensured consistent involvement and good communication to ensure transitions ran smoothly.

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 had received training in safeguarding and understood their responsibilities. Any concerns were identified straight away and reported through the appropriate channels. One professional told us, “I am told about any concerns in a timely manner which includes any safeguarding’s.”

Staff kept people safe, and relatives told us they were happy with the support provided. One relative told us, “I have no concerns, staff meet [person’s] needs, and [person] is happy, content and settled."

The provider always worked well with people to fully understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care that fully met people’s needs and was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

The management team had worked with people, families and professionals to implement robust and person-centred support plans and risk assessments. These documents set out clear and consistent guidance for staff around the provision of safe support for people, which met people’s needs in a way which was right for them. These documents were reviewed regularly, and staff monitored people’s progress including what worked well and what needed further improvement. This meant risk assessments constantly evolved and adapted to meet people’s changing needs and preferences. Risk assessments had a focus on dignity, human rights and providing choices for people.

Clear guidance was in place for staff to safely and effectively support people if they were to become distressed. Staff were knowledgeable about using a consistent approach and this had resulted in a marked decrease in distressed behaviours and incidents of self-harm.

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

The home was safe, secure, and appropriate for people’s needs. Maintenance checks were up to date and there was a fire risk assessment in place. The management team had worked well to ensure people knew what to do in the event of a fire, and as a result people were now confident in evacuating the building in a safe and timely manner.

All key information around utilities and what steps to take in the event of an environmental issue or emergency was readily available and easily accessible for staff. Contingency plans were in place and up to date.

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 enough staff to safely support people, and staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs.

Staff were recruited safely, with appropriate pre-employment checks in place. The induction process for new staff members was comprehensive and tailored to promote a robust understanding of people’s needs.

Staff received training appropriate to their roles. The management team carried out regular supervisions, observations and professional development reviews. These meetings were meaningful and staff spoke positively about them. One staff member told us, “We have lots of training now, management are supportive and we can raise things in the meetings."

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.

The home was clean, tidy and homely. One professional stated, “The home is always clean and inviting.” Cleaning schedules were in place and staff tried to involve people with cleaning tasks wherever possible.

The management team carried out infection control audits to ensure a high standard of cleanliness was maintained. Staff had access to ample PPE when needed, and management carried out hand hygiene competency checks to ensure staff knowledge remained up to date. The service had a designated infection prevention and control champion within the staff team, which meant staff always had support on hand when needed.

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

The provider managed medicines safely and people received their medicines as prescribed. Medicine records were clear and in line with best practice guidance. Medicines were stored securely and the management team completed regular checks and audits. This meant medication errors were identified in a timely manner and dealt with robustly, with lessons learned being shared across the staff team.

Where people were prescribed medicines on a ‘when required’ basis, robust and clear protocols were in place to guide staff as to when they should be administered. Professionals and families had been consulted regarding these protocols.