Divine Community Care 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 Good. At this assessment the rating has remained the same. 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.

The provider used systems to learn from accidents and incidents. Incidents and accidents had been recorded with actions taken to ensure people were safe. Records showed lessons had been learnt when incidents occurred to minimise the risk of reoccurrence.

The provider worked with people and professionals to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed and monitored.

The service completed an initial needs assessment before people started using the service. This process included introductory meetings with people and their relatives, providing information about the service to ease transition. The provider involved people and their relatives to develop the care plan. As part of care planning, safeguarding was discussed to establish safe systems of support.

A hospital passport was also in place if people needed to go to hospital and included key information about the person’s support needs and health.

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.

People had a safeguarding care plan in place, which explained how people would be kept safe. It detailed vulnerabilities related to safety awareness and backgrounds, while outlining specific support methods. The provider also had a safeguarding policy that defined types of abuse and instructed staff on how to escalate concerns and protect people.

Relatives told us that people felt safe when supported by staff. A relative told us, “My [person] feels very safe with them [staff].” Another relative commented, “They provide good care to [person], they are very helpful. [Person] feels safe with them.”

Staff had been trained on safeguarding processes and knew how to recognise abuse and who to report to. A staff member told us, “I have been trained on safeguarding. Safeguarding is protecting adults’ rights, safe from abuse, protecting them from harm like physical abuse. If I see this abuse, I will contact my manager to tell everything.”

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

Risks assessments had been completed to ensure people received safe support and care. Risk assessments had been completed on each stage of support people received, such as on mobility, nutrition, personal care and people’s health condition. Assessments included the identified risks and detailed how to mitigate those risks to ensure people received safe care and support.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment.

The provider assessed risks within people’s home environments. These assessments evaluated property access, internal and external surroundings, and potential fall or fire hazards to ensure both staff and people were safe.

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.

Staff had completed key training to perform their roles effectively such as on moving and handling and first aid. Staff had also received training on the Care Certificate, which provided a number of mandatory training topics essential to providing safe and effective support to people. Specialist training was also completed, including in key topic areas, such as caring for people with a learning disability and dementia. The provider used a training matrix to ensure oversight of training. A staff member commented, “I get all the training on time, it is very helpful. Training is regular.”

Records showed that staff had received an induction when starting their role as a carer, which included shadowing experienced members of staff. A staff member told us, “We receive good training. When I first started, they did 3 to 4 days of training. They teach us everything like infection control, safeguarding and moving and handling. They covered everything. These training were very helpful, you understand how to support people well.” A relative commented, “They [staff] have been trained properly and know how to support [person] properly.”

Systems were in place to ensure staff attended calls on time. Staff rota was in place and was sent to staff in advance so plans could be made to ensure staff attended calls on time. Staff completed timesheets detailing the times they visited people to provide care and the duration of the visit. This was reviewed by management regularly to ensure staff attended calls on time. Audits were completed on timesheets and any late calls were reviewed to minimise the risk of reoccurrence. There had been no missed visits. A staff member told us, “We get rota in advance, my rota is fixed so we know when to support someone before and are not late.”

Staff received regular supervisions and told us they were supported in their roles. Appraisals also had been completed for staff members working for more than 12 months. A staff member told us, “[Registered manager] is a good manager, every time I have issues, I can openly speak to her. [Nominated individual] is also very good and is always helpful. Both of them are very nice.”

The service carried out relevant pre-employment checks to ensure staff were able to provide care to vulnerable people. Checks included criminal records checks, right to work in the UK, references and proof of the person’s identity had been carried out to ensure staff were of good character.

The provider had an effective approach to assessing and managing the risk of infection, which is in line with current relevant national guidance.

Staff had received infection control training and infection control care plans were in place to ensure staff followed good infection control practises. Risk assessments on infection control had been completed to minimise risks associated with infections. A staff member told us, “We get all the PPE [personal protective equipment], gloves, aprons, shoe covers, everything we need to support people.”

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences.

Records showed that people did not require support with medicine administration. Risk assessments were in place, such as if people did not take their medicines or if staff failed to prompt people on time with actions to take to ensure people were safe. Staff had received medicines training and a medicine policy was in place should staff administer medicines in the future.