Professional Care Support Services 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 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.

People were encouraged and supported to raise safety concerns with managers and staff. Staff reported and recorded all incidents, accidents and concerns. Systems were in place for the provider to learn lessons when things had gone wrong. The registered manager investigated these and worked with staff, people and their families to make improvements to the service. The provider liaised with external professionals to make sure improvements reflected best practice. Relatives told us they were happy with the way the provider dealt with any issues or concerns that arose.

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.

Managers gathered information about people’s individual needs and wishes, and risks to their safety, prior to them using the service. This information was used to develop person-centred care and risk management plans which were shared with staff to help them provide safe and appropriate care to people from the moment they started receiving a home care service from this provider. Managers and staff worked closely with all the relevant family members where applicable and external health and social care professionals and bodies to ensure care plans and risk assessments reflected people’s current needs and wishes.

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.

There were systems to help safeguard people from abuse. People receiving a home care service and relatives told us they felt safe with their regular carers. One person said, “Yes, I do feel safe with my carers who regularly visit me at home.” Managers and staff completed safeguarding training and understood how to recognise and report abuse. A member of staff told us, “If I find anyone I support is being abused, I will report it to the registered manager in the office, the police if needed, the local authority’s safeguarding team and CQC.” The provider worked closely with external professionals, including local safeguarding teams, to investigate allegations of abuse and to protect people from avoidable harm.

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.

Risk assessment and care planning were undertaken collaboratively. People confirmed they felt involved in decisions about managing risks and their care. Managers, together with the person, assessed and identified risks to their safety, and how they were to be supported to manage those risks. Staff described how they balanced risk with independence, enabling the person to undertake tasks for themselves whilst remaining safe. The registered manager arranged for staff to undertake relevant training to understand about keeping people safe. A member of staff told us, “Our training teaches us what we must do to keep people safe and how to manage the risks people we support might face.” Risk assessments and management plans were reviewed at regular intervals and updated according to reflect any changes in people’s needs.

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

An environmental risk assessment was completed to ensure a person’s home was safe to live and work in. The managers worked with people, their relatives and, when appropriate other professionals, to ensure people had the right equipment to meet their needs. The office-based managers and supervisors routinely conducted in-person home visits which ensured they were able to identify and mitigate any potential environmental health and safety risks.

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.

The provider followed safe recruitment practices and only suitable staff were employed to work at the service. Staffing levels and rotas were well-organised to meet the person’s needs. Staff told us they were happy with the way the office-based managers and staff coordinated their home visits. Staff received a mixture of e-learning and in-person practical and theoretical mandatory training, which was routinely refreshed and included, ongoing competency-based assessments. A member of staff told us, “I receive regular, mandatory training tailored to the specific needs of the people I support so I know how to meet those needs.” 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, supervisors and fellow co-workers. In addition, supervisors routinely conducted monitoring visits to observe staffs working practices during home visits to identify what staff did well and what they might improve. A member of staff said, “I have quarterly one-to-one supervision meetings and appraisals every year with my line manager. These meetings allow me to regularly discuss my career goals and ensure my care practice continues to meet high standards.”

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.

The provider operated effective systems to help prevent and control infection. 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. People told us staff followed good hygiene practices and used personal protective equipment (PPE) when needed. Staff reported they had consistent access to enough PPE. A member of staff told us, “The office provides us with all the PPE we need, as soon as we ask for it.” Managers routinely observed staffs working practices to check they were following safe infection control and hygiene practices when they supported people.

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. They involved people in planning, including when changes happened.

People did not require any support from staff to manage their prescribed medicines at the time of this assessment. This was reflected in peoples care records. Staff provided support through prompts and monitoring. The provider had policies in place relating to the safe management of medicines. Staff had received relevant medicines training and their competency to manage medicines safely if this was required.