Longcroft

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 protected from the risk of harm related to safety incidents reoccurring. The provider had robust systems in place which allowed the registered manager and staff teams to understand and learn from all incidents. We saw these procedures had been followed recently and lessons learned had been applied. The open and transparent culture of the management team supported staff to contribute to lessons learned. One staff member said, “The management team discusses all events, and incidents that occur.”

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 were safely admitted to the service and supported when transitioning between services, for example when they needed to go to hospital. Robust systems were in place which helped ensure full information about any restrictions and conditions on people’s residence had been communicated to partners, and understood by the person and staff. People’s needs were kept under review and updated. Referrals to other professionals had been made in a timely manner.

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 were protected from the risk of abuse by the providers’ effective safeguarding procedures. Staff had received training about safeguarding and were aware of how to recognise and report concerns. The registered manager raised safeguarding concerns, when required, with the local authority and CQC. We found the policies and procedures had been followed in detail, in relation to a recent safeguarding concern.

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.

People had been supported to manage risks in their daily lives. The provider had effective risk assessment and management procedures in place which were detailed and person-centred. Care records and risk management plans were reviewed and updated regularly by staff. Staff felt the risk assessments contained enough detail for them to support people safely. People had been involved in decisions about risks. One person said, “I have to have a carer when I am outside, sometimes I think I don’t need them but I know I can’t always find my 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.

People lived in a safely maintained home. The provider had systems in place to ensure all necessary safety checks and certificates were in place. The home had a health and safety champion who oversaw all aspects of physical safety in the building. We were assured all routine checks had been completed and action taken when necessary. In addition, the provider held health and safety conferences where champions from other locations met and shared their skills and knowledge.

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 protected from the risk of harm related to safety incidents reoccurring. The provider had robust systems in place which allowed the registered manager and staff teams to understand and learn from all incidents. We saw these procedures had been followed recently and lessons learned had been applied. The open and transparent culture of the management team supported staff to contribute to lessons learned. One staff member said, “The management team discusses all events, and incidents that occur.”

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.

People’s home was clean, and the risks of infection had been identified and managed. The provider employed contract cleaners several times each week to maintain the home. Personal protective equipment was available for people, visitors and staff.

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 received their medicines as prescribed from staff who were trained and had their competencies checked. There was a medicines champion who had good oversight of all aspects of the ordering, storing and administering of medicines. Medicine records were completed accurately. Topical medicines, including creams were recorded properly and body maps in place to show where these needed to be used. Medicine stocks we checked were correct.