Civicare East Ltd Also known as Abacus Care (Essex) 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 requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 any issues raised to their management team. The registered manager kept an overview of any accidents and incidents which had been responded to or investigated where required. Lessons learned were shared with the staffing team to continually identify and embed good practice.

Staff told us information was regularly shared through staff meetings, newsletters, supervisions and updated in people’s care plans. The registered manager told us, “We look at any accident or incident to see what went wrong, how and why and what we can do to prevent it from happening again. Is there a better way.” The HR and finance manager told us, “Civicare East Ltd has a culture of learning, reflecting and reviewing of processes to ensure we remain fit for purpose and are the most effective and efficient we can be.”

The provider and the senior management team 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. A relative told us, “When [person] is on respite care, they (Civicare staff) are our eyes and ears. They are our voice if they need to prompt the nursing home staff to get [person] up in time to start their activities with them. They (Civicare staff) are always there at the end of the phone if there is anything you need.”

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 was a low incidence of safeguarding concerns at Civicare East Ltd. A consistent and robust approach to managing safeguarding concerns was in place and demonstrated safeguarding concerns raised were addressed in an open and unbiased manner. Evidence we viewed demonstrated staff escalated concerns promptly and the management team took appropriate action to notify and submit the relevant information to the local authority and the Care Quality Commission. Staff were aware and able to describe different types of abuse they may come across and were clear whom to report any abuse to internally and also to external agencies such as the local authority and Care Quality Commission. A member of staff told us, “I would notify the office straight away. I would find out as much as possible whether it is physical. If the office did not take me seriously, I would contact CQC. I am aware of the whistle blowing policy.”

People and or they relatives told us they felt safe when being provided with care and support. One person told us, “I have very poor mobility, they (care staff) make me feel safe by the way they treat me and the way they help me into the car, there have been no mishaps.”

Risks to people's health and wellbeing had been assessed and each person had personalised risk assessments, which identified the risks they could be exposed to, and the support needed to minimise these and to ensure their safety. Risk assessments had been reviewed regularly to identify when people's needs changed.

The service had a consistent team of permanent staff to support people which meant staff knew people well and were aware of any associated risks relating to their care and support. A member of staff told us, “We get messages about any changes or additional risks about people. We are trained on how to use equipment safely, such as a rotunda and hoists.”

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in people’s home environments. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. The service had completed an assessment of people's homes to ensure that they were free from hazards that could place them, their visitors and staff who supported them at risk of potential harm. This also included risk assessments for fire routes, electrical, fuse boxes, smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms. These were in a pictorial format as well as written guidance in people’s care plans for staff to follow should they need to in the event of an emergency situation arising.

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.

Safe staff recruitment processes were in place which included the completion of appropriate pre-employment checks such as references from previous employers and disclosure and barring service checks (DBS). This helps employers make safe recruitment choices. We checked the recruitment records for 3 members of staff and all the required pre-employment checks had been completed.

People and/or their relatives told us they received continuity of care from regular care staff. People received their calls on time and staff stayed for the duration of the scheduled care call, unless instructed otherwise. Comments included, “We have the same staff, they are always on time and stay for the allotted time. [Person] likes them. We have never had a missed call” and “I have the same staff on a rota basis, I like having different faces, there is always something different to talk about.”

People and relatives, we spoke with, did not share any concerns in relation to infection prevention and control and told us staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) when carrying out personal care procedures. Staff had received infection prevention and control training and were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) which could be collected from the office. The registered manager told us, “We have recently bought an ultraviolet unit to demonstrate to staff how important hand hygiene is. Each month we write a little quote; we encourage bare arms below the elbow and the importance of staff washing their uniforms after each shift.” The provider had an up to date policy in place to support effective infection prevention and control and staff were following current guidance.

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. Regular medicines audits were undertaken by the senior management team. In March 2025 as part of ‘Medication Month’ further training, policies and procedures, risk assessments and daily auditing of people’s medicines and times of administration were undertaken. The service also supported the Get It on Time Campaign in March 2025 as their monthly focus was on Parkinsons disease.

People and relatives told us they/their loved one received their medicines when they needed them and on time. A relative told us, “They make sure [person] takes their tablets on time and checks that they have a glass of water.”