Careline Homecare (Rotherham)

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 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. There was a learning culture in the organisation. Accidents and incidents were reported appropriately and information was analysed and reviewed to identify lessons learned. Lessons learned were shared with members of staff through team meetings and supervision sessions.

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. Care passports were in place for people which contained vital information about a person's health, including their learning disability or autism, communication preferences and how to provide better support during appointments or hospital stays. This ensured a smooth transition between services and helped to promote continuity of care in hospital or from another provider in an emergency.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way for this to be achieved. 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. The provider made appropriate referrals to the local safeguarding adults team to keep people safe. The provider assessed people’s capacity to make decisions in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and recorded decisions which were in people’s best interest. Staff confirmed they knew what to do to keep people safe and report any concerns, “I would report all concerns to a manager and document everything in a written statement.” Family members confirmed their loved ones received safe care and support. One family member told us, “‘Yes, [relative] definitely is safe. [The staff] are friendly and kind and have a bit of a joke with us as well.”

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs which was safe, supportive and enabled people to do things which mattered to them. Risks associated with people’s care and support needs were assessed and mitigated appropriately. These risk assessments were reviewed regularly. Summaries of people's care needs contained a personal profile and information about how care should be provided along with a summary of risks and mitigations. Care plans and risk assessments were sufficiently detailed and ensured care was delivered in line with assessed needs. A family member told us the provider visited to write a care plan, “The care plan is there in place from that discussion. There’s a paper copy in their house. I think after that [a member of the management team] came out to check everything was as it should be.”

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 used an electronic call monitoring system to ensure people received their care calls as planned. The data and information from this system was regularly reviewed by the management team. Risks associated with the local environment were identified in people’s care plans and risk assessments.

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 which met people’s individual needs. Members of staff were recruited safely and pre-employment information, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks, was reviewed before new employees started delivering care and support. Members of staff confirmed they accessed a range of different training sessions made available by the provider. A member of staff told us, "I have had moving and handling training, training to use the phones, basic human support training that is similar to first aid training. There is always support if we don't feel confident in our skills. More training is always an option to us. I received training via the online training to support people with learning disabilities and autism."

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. Appropriate policies and procedures were in place to prevent and control infections. Members of staff confirmed they had access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and they knew how to use it appropriately. A member of staff told us, “I have been trained on how to use PPE correctly and how to dispose of it. I have been trained to always keep an eye on possible infections and to report any concerns immediately.”

The provider made sure medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened. Administration of medication was managed safely and people were supported to take their medications safely. One person told us, “[The staff] make sure I take my tablets. They tap something on their phone.” The management team reviewed and audited the medication administration processes and carried out spot checks on staff to ensure compliance and safe practice. Members of staff had received appropriate training to administer medications safely and they confirmed they knew what to do if there were ever any problems. A member of staff said, “Yes, I have received medication training both online and face to face. If a medication error happens, we ring the pharmacy or the GP, send a feedback-and-follow up form which goes to the office and the management team deal with it at branch level."