Crystalline Business Solutions 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 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.

Systems were in place to record and review any incidents or accidents that occurred. The registered manager encouraged staff to report any concerns, and action was taken to learn from these and improve service delivery.

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.

The registered manager worked with the funding authority, people and their relatives to support smooth transitions to the service. The registered manager met people and their relatives prior to providing support to gather information about their needs and how they wished to be supported. This was also an opportunity for people to meet potential staff so they were able to make an informed decision about who they would like to receive support from.

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.

Safe systems were in place to record and report safeguarding concerns. Staff had received training on safeguarding adults. We found when speaking with staff that some had some gaps in their knowledge of safeguarding procedures. The registered manager told us they would revisit safeguarding principles during their next team meeting and at individual supervisions. The management team had also produced a safeguarding adults’ resource folder which included information about how to raise a safeguarding concern internally and how to share these concerns with the local authority safeguarding adults’ team which was to be shared with care staff to help improve their understanding.

People and relatives told us they felt safe receiving care from Crystalline Business Solutions. A relative told us, “Yes [their family member] is safe and [the care staff] are very good. They stay the time they have to and arrive on time and if they miss their bus which has happened 1 or 2 times then the office always ring to tell us what is happening.”

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’s care records included clear assessments of people’s needs and identified any risks to their safety or welfare. Where risks were identified, management plans were put in place, and these were incorporated into people’s support plans. Staff were knowledgeable about how to support people safely and how to escalate concerns about people’s health should they arise.

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 registered manager assessed people’s home to ensure it was a safe environment for care staff to work and for people to be cared for. Staff liaised with occupational therapy (OT) teams to assess people’s need and ensure they had the required equipment in place to meet their needs, and that fitted within the home environment. For example, one person had been discharged with a mobility aid that was too big for their home environment, and they therefore could not safely move around their home easily. The registered manager liaised with the OT and organised a smaller mobility aid to be provided which better met the person’s environment.

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.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and provide them with care at the times they preferred. People confirmed staff attended on time and stayed the required length of time. An electronic care management system was in place to log when staff were at people’s homes which was monitored by the management team.

Safe recruitment practices were in place to ensure suitable staff were employed to meet people’s needs. Staff completed a regular programme of training and completed competency checks to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to undertake their duties. After staff completed training, the management team spoke with them to ensure they retained what they had learnt. Staff were supported through a regular programme of supervision.

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.

Systems were in place to ensure staff adhered to infection prevention and control (IPC) procedures. This included checking compliance with IPC during spot checks, observing hand hygiene and ensuring personal protective equipment (PPE) was worn correctly. People also confirmed that staff adhered to good IPC. One person said, “They always wash their hands and wear PPE when necessary.”

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.

Safe medicines management processes were in place. Staff received training on medicines management. Information was included in people’s records about what level of support they required with their medicines, and electronic medicine administration records (MAR) were in place to record the medicines administered, including tablets and topical creams. We noted 2 occasions where 1 person’s MAR was not completed accurately. Their daily notes included information that the medicines had been refused but this was not recorded on their MAR. The registered manager assured us they would ensure staff also completed the MAR when medicines were refused as well as a comment in the daily notes.