Northumberland Mid & North Domiciliary Care Agency

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.
The registered manager and service managers held regular team meetings to reflect on accidents and incidents and share best practice. Lessons learned were shared with other locations operated by the provider. The electronic care records allowed for easy reporting and sharing of information between staff and managers.
 

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.
Staff referred people to appropriate specialist teams when required. Healthcare partners spoke highly of the support staff gave to people.
 

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 safe from harm and abuse. Safeguarding processes were in place to record concerns and notifications to the local authority and CQC were made appropriately. Staff had received safeguarding training and were able to describe how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns.
 

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.
Risks to people’s health, safety and welfare had been assessed. This covered areas such as falls, nutrition, and skin integrity, along with individual identified risks. Risk assessments were detailed, person-centred and effective at reducing risk. Wherever possible risk assessments promoted people’s independence enabling them to take positive risks such as using kitchen equipment.
 

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’s homes were well maintained and staff advocated for people with their housing providers.
 

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.
The staff teams were a well-established, long standing team with minimal staff turnover. People had consistent staff who knew them well. The provider carried out pre-employment checks and new staff went through a comprehensive induction. This included face to face training, shadowing and competence checks. Staff were trained in line with the Oliver McGowan code of practice, and had received specific training around caring for people with a learning disability 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.
Staff had received infection prevention and control training. Personal protective equipment (PPE) was available and staff used it appropriately. People were supported to keep their homes clean to minimise the risk of infection.
 

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.
The provider had an effective medicines administration process which ensured medicines were given safely. Staff competencies were regularly checked, and training was up to date. Medicines were stored safely, and regular audits took place. Staff followed STOMP (Stopping the Over-Medication People with a learning disability or an autistic person) guidance. Where possible people were included in the medicines process, such as helping staff with checks.