Nupath Care Northumberland

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 provider had systems to log and investigate incidents and safeguarding concerns. These were analysed to identify areas for improvement and learning.

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’s needs had been assessed when they were referred to the service, this helped ensure the provider could meet their needs appropriately.

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. Staff had completed safeguarding training and were confident to raise concerns, if required. Allegations of abuse were reported to the local authority and investigated.

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. Where potential risks to people’s safety had been identified, a risk assessment was carried out. This gave staff detailed information about how to help keep people safe. Where people experienced distress, specific care plans guided staff about the most effective strategies to support people.

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 carried out environmental risk assessments to help ensure people and staff remained 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. People were generally happy with their care. They did tell us about minor inconsistencies with staff rotas, which they felt, at times, affected the consistency of staffing. New staff were recruited safely. Staff received regular supervision and had their competency assessed for tasks such as administering medicines. Staff had completed specific level 1 training in caring for people with a learning disability and/or autism. More advanced training was planned and due to be rolled out to all staff.

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 completed infection prevention and control training and followed best practice. A staff member said, “I have received a great amount of training in all departments that is required to my job which included infection control.”

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. Medicines administration records confirmed the medicines people had received, and audits were completed to check this. People received medicines from trained and competent staff.