The King William Care Home

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 as good. At this assessment, the rating has remained as good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (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.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

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 did not always work well with people and staff to understand and manage risks. People were not always supported to stay safe in ways that reduced the risk of harm. We saw communal areas used by people at increased risk of falls that were not always supervised by staff. The registered manager told us, "We don't over monitor at Ashmere." We observed one person attempting to mobilise without the equipment they required to do so safely. Staff responded quickly to support the person and reduce the risk of a fall, demonstrating the importance of having staff available in communal areas.

Call bell pull cords were often unavailable, which could make it harder for people to call for help when needed. The provider took action during the inspection, ensuring all call bells had pull cords fitted and checking that call bells and sensor mats were working correctly. We also observed a member of staff using an incorrect moving and handling technique when supporting a person. This was discussed with the registered manager, who took action to prevent a recurrence.

We found prescribed body creams that were out of date and stored unsecured in people's unlocked bedrooms. This meant other people could have accessed these medicines, increasing the risk of harm through inappropriate use. The provider completed checks to ensure out-of-date creams were removed.

However, other risks had been identified by the provider and action had been taken to help keep people safe, including individual risk assessments and information shared with staff through team meetings. This meant there were processes in place to identify and manage risks, and the provider responded positively when concerns were raised, although improvements were needed to ensure risk management measures were consistently in place. Professionals also spoke positively about the way important information was shared in a timely way.

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 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.

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

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.