Green Acres Care Home

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. Staff and leaders learnt lessons from incidents. Where people had an accident or incident, there were systems in place to assess what happened and what needed to be done to minimise it happening again.

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 had access to health and social care professionals. There was joined up care with visiting professionals including district nurses, social workers, ambulance staff and GPs. Staff knew people well and they could communicate this to other professionals. This ensured transition between services was seamless, such as attending a hospital appointment.

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 protected from the risk of abuse or neglect. Leaders worked with the Local Authority to report areas of safeguarding concern which ensured people’s safety was promoted. Staff were trained in safeguarding adults and they had a good understanding on how to report any concerns. One visiting professional told us, “We do not have concerns about safeguarding at this home.” Leaders had a clear oversight of any Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard outcomes and restrictions in place to ensure care was provided in line with the law.

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 were involved in assessing and managing risks. People were at the centre of decisions about their care and risk taking. Staff encouraged positive risk taking to ensure people were free to make their own decisions and choices. Leaders ensured staff were guided on how to minimise the risk of harm by having detailed risk assessments for all risks the person may experience. One person told us, “They keep me safe here. They’re very good.”

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 benefitted from an environment which was maintained to a good standard. There was a dedicated maintenance member of staff on site who was proactive in repairing and maintaining the premises and equipment. Essential checks such as water temperature checks and the safety of gas and electrics were completed regularly. The environment was purpose built for people with reduced mobility or wheelchair users to ensure people could move about the premises without restriction. Fire safety was a high priority and staff were confident in completing fire drills and how to safely evacuate the premises.

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 were safely recruited. There were enough staff to provide safe care and people did not have to wait to receive the support they needed. Staff were trained to provide support to meet people’s health and care needs. The staff team worked well together and made sure people received the care they needed at the right time. One member of staff told us, “We all work well together to cover the shifts. We will always work extra to cover a shift if we are short staffed.”

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 maintained good levels of infection prevention and control practices. Staff were observed wearing the correct personal protective equipment at all times and adhering to good hand hygiene. The premises was clean and hygienic throughout with no mal odours found. One visiting relative told us, “The home is always clean. The cleaners do a good job here.”

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 were managed safely. Staff were trained in medication administration and people safely received their medication. People who required time specific medication received this at the right time. Leaders ensured staff were guided to give people “as and when required” medication by having person centred protocols in place. One person told us, “I get my medicine on time. They manage my medication well.”