A1 Home Care Also known as A1 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. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

The provider had robust systems in place for reporting and recording accidents and incidents, including reporting to the appropriate external agencies. The provider completed statutory notifications in line with their legal requirements and regulation. Staff were supported with regular supervisions, and the registered manager told us how important it was that staff were supported with all aspects of their role, including their overall wellbeing.

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 liaised with a range of healthcare professionals such as GPs and district nurses as well as specialist services, such as the Alzheimer’s Society to ensure that people had access to healthcare when required. Staff understood the importance of partnership working. One staff member told us, “A1 works well with health professionals and customers families to ensure proper care is delivered.” The registered manager was very passionate about ensuring people were supported to receive appropriate healthcare for example ensuring referrals were made to occupational therapy, when people needed new or updated equipment. The registered manager also ensured that people’s safety was maintained via completing referrals to other agencies such as the fire service, wheelchair service and referrals to the East of England Ambulance service to notify them of key safe numbers with people’s consent.

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.

The provider had safeguarding and whistleblowing policies in place that were readily accessible to staff. Staff had received training in safeguarding and staff understood their responsibilities to report concerns and who to report concerns too. Staff told us they felt able to report any concerns. Comments included, “You can approach them [management] to complain to, and they look into any concerns raised.”

Staff, people and their relatives told us they felt safe and had no concerns with raising any issues. Comments included, “If I do have a complaint, I feel my concerns are dealt with professionally and with understanding, management are extremely approachable” and “I haven’t needed to complain about A1 because I’m very happy with the care [relative] receives. I would feel comfortable raising something if I needed to, and I’m confident that the management would be helpful.” One person told us, “I feel safe with the carers. I feel completely comfortable having them in my home.”

We reviewed Mental Capacity Assessments and found that staff and the management team worked within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). People had choice, control and freedom over their lives and were not subject to unlawful or excessive restrictions.

The provider 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.

People had appropriate care plans and risk assessments in place, and these were reviewed and updated regularly. People and their relatives were involved in their reviews, and initial assessments were carried out prior to care commencing.

Staff told us they felt they were kept informed and updated of any changes to people’s needs. One staff member told us, “The office staff inform us very quickly of any changes. Always via email and sometimes a phone call also.”

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 provider assessed risks within people’s homes to ensure a safe environment for both people and staff. This included ensuring people had the appropriate equipment in place to safely support people with their care and support needs. People had personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPS) in place which contained appropriate information for staff to safely evacuate people in the event of a fire.

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.

Feedback we received from people and their relatives was positive around the consistency and competency of staff at A1 Home Care. Comments we received included, “I feel confident in the carers because they are well trained and competent” and “There is continuity because [relative] sees the same carer mostly every day.”

Staff received regular training and had supervisions. Staff told us they felt the training was good at A1 Home Care, and they felt comfortable asking for any additional training. Comments included, “I can say that the training I receive is very good and even though I've been in care for a time, I am still learning new techniques from A1 Home Care” and “Training is thorough and comprehensive.We also have the opportunity to ask for refresher training in between if we feel we need it.”

The provider had recruitment procedures in place to ensure the required checks were carried out prior to staff commencing their employment. This included enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for adults. 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.

People and their relatives told us staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) and raised no concerns around staff knowledge and awareness of infection prevention and control (IPC). Staff had received the appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) training and regular spot checks demonstrated that staff wore the appropriate PPE during care visits. The provider had a policy and procedures in place for infection prevention and control and people and their relatives (where appropriate) where asked during reviews if staff wore their PPE during visits.

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.

Staff followed care plans and medicines administration records (MAR) to ensure people received their medicines safely. The provider had effective processes in place to ensure that any changes to people’ medicines were communicated to staff and documented accordingly. People and their relatives told us they had no concerns around the medicines support received. One relative told us, “I have no concerns about [relatives] medication support. The carers help [relative] with [relatives’] medication and I’m happy with the support [relative] receives.” Another told us, “I feel confident that [relatives’] medication is administered safely and that the carers monitor the supply.”

Staff had received the appropriate training to support people with their medicines and competencies were being carried out as required.