Hope Homecare Services 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. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. Where incidents occurred, lessons learnt had been identified by the management team, there was evidence the lessons learnt were embedded into the service in a timely way. For example, a relative said that where errors had occurred, there was an identified action that staff required a competency spot check on their performance and interactions with people they supported.

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 and the transitions were meaningful and had people’s needs at the centre of the decisions being made.

A relative said, “The referral into the service, it was long process, it was so thorough, it was really reassuring. They went through everything to start with, it is reassuring.”

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.

People were supported in a way that promoted their safety, independence, and personal choice. People looked comfortable in their own home. A relative told us, “There are no concerns of bruising. Now they document continuously. It is reassuring. [Person] has a really nice bond with the staff.”

Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures and acted promptly to address any concerns. Where safeguarding occurred, the management team ensured this was investigated appropriately and immediate action was taken to keep people safe.

The provider 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.

People’s risk assessments were person-centred and regularly reviewed, enabling people to live as independently as possible while remaining safe. These assessments considered both physical and emotional wellbeing.Where people’s needs changed the staff, management team and families worked together to get good outcomes for people. For example, the staff closed a significant safety gap, whereby a family provided PEG care, by ensuring the child’s mother was fully trained and clinically signed off to staff level competency. Care plans were strengthened with clinical authorisation, clear audit trails, and staff verification processes, demonstrating strong governance, multiagency collaboration, and improved safety for a high risk clinical procedure. Another example, where the staff demonstrated timely identification and escalation of a serious health concern, prevented avoidable deterioration and potential emergency admission. Staff received clear monitoring guidance, and the GP and family were involved promptly, demonstrating effective risk management and person-centred responsiveness.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. People had individual risk assessment around fire risks and the provider ensured there were effective fire safety procedures. People had their own safe home that met their needs and was a safe environment for staff to work in. Where people required support with their housing needs, staff advocated for them. For example, Staff took proactive action to identify and mitigate an environmental risk, ensuring heating was restored promptly for a person with increased vulnerability. Risk assessments and care plans were updated the same day, and relevant professionals were informed, demonstrating strong governance, multi‑agency working, and effective prevention of avoidable distress or deterioration.

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.

People were supported by staff who had the right skills. Staff received regular training and supervision to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to support people effectively. This included face to face training which considered the individual health and wellbeing needs of the people they supported to ensure staff were best skilled to support them. This included areas such as autism, learning disabilities, manual handling, safeguarding and health related training sessions. Staff and relatives felt they had the right skills to do their role. A relative said, “We have the same staff. Have a really good relationship [Person], shadow shifts and training are completed, that is prior to them supporting, they are skilled.”

Another relative said, “We see regular team that come in because [Person] has all different seizure types and they support [Person] in a safe way. They recognise when [Person] is going to have a seizure and they get them to safety. That has been really good. And the people that come do the competency, they make sure the staff have seen enough seizures, before they make sure the staff member is competent. I get involved in that so the trainer will talk to me. They have been really good.”

A staff member said, “Yes, I feel that I have appropriate training and skills to carry out my role as a care worker. I have completed mandatory training such as safeguarding, moving and handling and medication awareness and all these have given me the knowledge and confidence to provide safe and person centered care. However, there is always room for further improvement so I would like any additional training when the opportunity comes.”

The provider had a safe recruitment process; appropriate checks were undertaken to help ensure staff were suitable to work at the service. A disclosure and barring service (DBS) check and satisfactory references had been obtained for all staff before they worked with people. Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

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. This was evidenced through audits completed by the management team. Staff and relatives both shared they had the equipment they needed to maintain good infection prevention and control.

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.

Medicines were managed safely, and people were supported to take their medicines in a way that suited them. Staff understood people’s needs and preferences with medicines and ensured these were followed. Relatives shared that people received medicines when they required it.