Chenai Holistic Home Care Agency Ltd

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

The service was previously in breach of the legal regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, safeguarding and staffing. Improvements were found at this assessment, and the service was no longer in breach of these regulations.

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.

Staff told us they felt able to raise safety concerns, and there was clear evidence these were listened to, investigated and reported appropriately. Learning from incidents was routinely identified and used to inform and embed improvements in practice. A staff member told us, “I do have supervision, the company is supportive. I have spot checks, and anything I need I can have additional training.”

The provider explained they had undertaken a systematic review of all systems and processes since the previous inspection. They continued to use lessons learned from incidents, audits and staff and people feedback to strengthen governance and drive ongoing improvement.

Records relating to safety incidents were comprehensive and clearly documented the actions taken in response. These showed that appropriate steps had been taken to protect people, including timely referrals to external agencies where needed.

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.

Procedures were in place to ensure people’s transitions into and out of the service were well planned and coordinated. Staff involved people, their families and relevant healthcare professionals to ensure transitions were safe, person centred and responsive to individual needs. The provider gave an example of a person who had progressed so well they were able to stop using the service; however, the person chose to maintain contact by phone, enabling the service to offer support if required.

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 and relatives told us they/ their family member felt safe with staff. A person told us, “Oh yes, I feel safe with them. We have a laugh. We have the same interests.” A relative added. “We feel safe with them, they are very respectful, some are a bit shy.”

The provider had policies and procedures in place that supported effective and timely safeguarding. Staff demonstrated they understood abuse, recognised potential signs, and knew what actions to take if they suspected abuse had occurred. A staff member told us,” I would reassure client and immediately report to the manager, and managers will act on this. If I needed to, I would report to the local authority.”

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.

Staff told us they had all the information they needed within care plans to provide safe care. A staff member said, “We have an app with all planned activities. Everything is in the app. We also read the notes from the previous carer, and we can read about their risks.”

People had individual assessments in place that clearly identified risks and set out actions to mitigate them. These covered a range of needs including catheter care, diabetes and mobility related risks. A relative told us, “The risk assessments have been done. Staff have had advanced epilepsy training. And there's a bi-monthly review of [family member’s] care needs.”

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’s care plans included information for staff regarding potential environmental risks, including fire safety and access to people’s homes.

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 and relatives told us punctuality had improved. A relative said, “[Staff] work in pairs, punctuality is a lot better. They are on time mostly.”

Staff told us they were satisfied with how their work was allocated and felt they had enough time to travel between visits. They described clear communication processes when delays occurred and said missed visits were avoided. A staff member explained, “Late visits we cannot always avoid due to traffic. If we are late, we call office or the client. I have never heard of a missed visit happening.” Another staff member said, “If someone is allocated 30 minutes then I am there for 30 minutes.”

The provider recruited staff safely in line with current legislation to help ensure new staff were suitable for their job roles.

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.

During the assessment we observed staff attending the office to collect personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies before visiting people. Staff told us they had completed training in infection prevention and control, including the correct use of PPE and hand hygiene. They demonstrated an understanding of their responsibilities in reducing the risk of cross infection and described how they followed guidance when providing care in people’s homes.

People and relatives were confident that staff followed good infection prevention practices. A relative told us, “[Staff] are good with PPE. They take off their shoes when they come in and respect our property. I can't fault their support.”

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 had received appropriate training in medicines administration, and their competencies were regularly assessed to help ensure medicines were managed safely. Staff described how they supported people with their medicines and knew when to seek advice or report concerns to the management team. The management team maintained oversight of medicines safety through regular audits of medication administration records (MARs). These audits checked records for accuracy, identified errors or omissions and ensured medicines were given as prescribed and at the correct times. Where issues were identified, appropriate action was taken to address them and reduce the risk of recurrence.