Piper Court

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 inspection we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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. Individual incidents, accidents, safeguarding concerns and complaints were investigated and action taken as a result.

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. People had their needs assessed before and after moving into the home. This information was used to develop personalised care plans.

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. Safeguarding concerns were referred to the local authority safeguarding team and investigated. Due to the recent increase of medicines errors, bespoke practice guidance had been developed for staff about identifying and reporting medicines errors to the local authority safeguarding team. One person told us, “I have no concerns, I am very safe.”

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. Care plans contained information about people’s individual needs to help with providing consistent care and keep people safe. Where specific risks had been identified, an assessment was carried out to help reduce the risk of harm to people.

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 completed various risk assessments and health and safety checks to help keep the environment safe. There were also policies and procedures to ensure people were supported appropriately in emergency situations, if required.

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. Individual incidents, accidents, safeguarding concerns and complaints were investigated and action taken as a result.

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 home was clean and tidy throughout. A staff member told us, “Hygiene is very good. (Domestic staff) clean from the start to the end of shift.”

The provider did not always make sure that medicines and treatments were safe and metpeople’s needs, capacities and preferences. The provider had been experiencing high numbers of medicines errors at Piper Court. Although medicines errors were still being found during January to March 2025, these had reduced significantly due to robust audits and action plans. Staff also confirmed the management of medicines had improved recently. Staff had completed medicines management training and had their competency assessed, to check they had the correct appropriate skills and knowledge.