Helping Hands Wimbledon

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 now 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 service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

People were encouraged and supported to raise concerns with the provider. Managers and staff understood the importance of reporting safety concerns and learning lessons when things went wrong. One-person receiving a service told us, “The office-based managers and staff seem to be much better than the previous lot and have definitely improved how they coordinate my carers home visits and communicate with me.”

Systems were in place to support staff to report and record safety concerns and events when they arose. Managers investigated safety concerns and incidents and used the learning from these to support staff to continually improve their practice, reduce risk and keep people safe.

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.

Information was obtained from people, and others involved in their care, about everyone’s personal care needs and potential risks they might face. This was used to develop person-centred care and risk management plans to ensure people received safe and appropriate care from the moment they started receiving a home care service from this provider.

The service worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. They 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.

Managers and staff understood how to safeguard people. They knew how to recognise and report abuse and neglect, were able to articulate how they would spot signs if people were at risk of abuse or harm. A member of staff told us, “I’ve had safeguarding training, so I know what abuse is. If l ever suspect it is happening to anyone I support, I will report it immediately to my line manager.” Managers and staff had received up to date safeguarding adults training which was routinely refreshed.

People told us they felt safe receiving a home care service from their regular carers who delivered it. A person said, “I do feel safe with my regular carers who have got to really know me.”

Managers worked proactively with the relevant external health and social care professionals and bodies when a concern was raised and took appropriate action to safeguard people from further risk, when this was required.

People were supported to understand the care and support staff provided them. People’s care plans made it clear what decisions people could make for themselves. Staff understood people’s capacity to make decisions about the care and support they received. Managers and staff confirmed they had received Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) training. A member of staff told us, “During interactions with people I support, I communicate clearly with them, explaining what I'm doing and why, so they are fully involved in their own care.” The service was clearly working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

The service worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. They provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive, and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

The risks people might face were assessed and staff had easy access to risk assessment and management plans that detailed what action they needed to take to prevent or safely manage any identified risks. A relative told us, “Staff are aware of my [family members] needs, and how to keep them safe They seem to know what they are doing and are confident in their job role.” Staff were aware what actions they needed to take to keep people safe. A member of staff said, “I always review a person's care plan before providing them any support, so l understand any potential risks they face. If I notice any new risks, I report them promptly to the staff in the office, so the person’s risk assessment and management plan can be updated straight away.”

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

There were effective arrangements in place to maintain and monitor the health and safety of people’s home environment. Health and safety risk assessments, including those relating to fire safety had all been conducted before a person could start receiving a home care service from this provider. Managers and staff regularly visited people at home which ensured they were able to identify and mitigate any potential environmental health and safety risks people living and working in a particular home environment might face.

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.

At our last inspection we received mixed feedback from people about the way the provider coordinated staffs call visits. At this inspection we received only positive feedback from people in relation to how their call visits were managed. People told us they received continuity of care from the same group of care staff who were usually punctual and were familiar with their personal care needs, wishes and daily routines. One person said, “I have the same regular carers who know what I need, like and what my daily routines are, including my work schedule. My carers are also pretty much on time mostly and will always let us know if they are running late.” A relative added, “My [family member] generally has the same team of carers and the office lets us know if a carer will be late, which isn’t that often. When carers are late because they’re finishing off another call visit, they always stay their agreed time and complete all that needs doing without fail.”

Staff were equally complimentary about how their call visits/shifts were coordinated by the office-based managers and staff. A member of staff told us, “The office-based staff coordinate my calls visits and shifts well. This means I am normally able to arrive on time for my visit and complete my all the personal care tasks set out in a person’s care plan. If there are any timing or scheduling challenges, Icommunicate them to the office, so adjustments can be made.” Another member of staff added, “I often support the same individuals, which helps us build trust and a good working relationship with the people I regularly support. It allows me to understand each person's preferences and needs better. This ensures people I support receive continuity of care, which is the key to good person-centred care in my opinion.” Peoples personal care needs, preferences and geographical location were all considered in the providers process of matching them with enough staff with the right knowledge, skills, and experience.

The provider used an electronic call monitoring (ECM) system to help them coordinate and monitor staffs home care visits and shifts. The ECM system logged the exact times staff arrive and leave the home of people they support. It automatically notifies the office-based managers and staff in real time if care staff were running late or have missed scheduled home care visits.

Staff were well-trained to meet people’s individual needs, in line with their choices and preferences and encouraged to continually improve in their role. Staff received a mixture of e-learning and in-person practical and theoretical training, which was routinely refreshed and included, ongoing competency-based assessments. A member of staff told us, “I receive regular training that is always relevant to my role. This helps me stay confident and up to date with best practices so I can continue providing safe, high-quality care to everyone I support.” Another member of staff added, “There are lots of opportunities to learn and grow in this job.” The provider had a well-equipped training room located in their main offices where all staff received their theoretical and practical learning.

New staff had to complete a thorough induction training programme which was mapped to the Care Certificate. The Care Certificate is a nationally recognised set of standards which provides new staff with the expected level of knowledge to be able to do their jobs well. The induction was followed by a period of shadowing experienced nursing and care staff during their call visits and shifts and a probationary review.

Staff had ongoing opportunities to reflect on their working practices and to identify any further training, learning or support they might need. Staff had regular individual and group meetings with their line managers and co-workers, and their working practices were directly observed at least once a quarter by office-based managers/staff during a call visit/shift. A member of staff said, “I have direct observation of my working practices and regular supervision meetings with my line manager at agreed intervals to discuss my overall work performance, progress, and any challenges I am facing.”

The provider’s staff recruitment processes were thorough, and records demonstrated that they were followed. The provider conducted thorough pre-employment checks to ensure the suitability of staff for their role. These included checks on staffs identify, previous employment, their character, their right to work in the UK and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. DBS checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. This information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

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.

Staff had received relevant infection control and food hygiene training and had access to resources and equipment to help them reduce the risk of infections spreading. Staff used personal protective equipment [PPE] when meeting the intimate personal care needs of people they supported. A member of staff told us, “We always have enough PPE available. If something is running low,I just go to the office and get everything I need to work safely.” Another member of staff added, “I always have access to all the PPE I need including latex gloves, hand sanitiser, masks, shoe covers and aprons.”

Staffs working practices in relation to infection control and their safe use of PPE were routinely checked and observed by nursing staff as part of their routine quality monitoring home visits.

The service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

People were encouraged and supported to raise concerns with the provider. Managers and staff understood the importance of reporting safety concerns and learning lessons when things went wrong. One-person receiving a service told us, “The office-based managers and staff seem to be much better than the previous lot and have definitely improved how they coordinate my carers home visits and communicate with me.”

Systems were in place to support staff to report and record safety concerns and events when they arose. Managers investigated safety concerns and incidents and used the learning from these to support staff to continually improve their practice, reduce risk and keep people safe.