One Touch Quality Kare

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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated 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. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

Where incidents or near misses had taken place, whether these were within people’s support hours, or at other times, the provider had been proactive in responding to reassess risk and implement additional guidance for staff. Discussions were held with people to review their risks following events, and staff we spoke with were aware of any learning from incidents. Staff told us learning was shared with them during team meetings, which gave them the opportunity to discuss any concerns.

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 provider worked closely with other agencies to ensure they had the information required to effectively assess people’s needs. Care plans and risk assessments were developed following assessments, and people and other professionals contributed to these. When people left the service information was shared by the provider to assist with continuity of care.

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 told us they felt safe when being supported by staff. One person said, “I’ve tried other agencies, and it hasn’t worked out. I feel happy and safe.” Staff had received training in safeguarding children and adults and knew how to recognise potential signs of abuse. They were aware of how to escalate concerns for people’s safety. The provider had systems in place to ensure any concerns were appropriately investigated and referred to the local authority safeguarding team as required.

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 told us staff were trained to help manage their risks. One person said, “Staff seem well trained, I can’t fault them.” People’s risks were assessed, and guidance was provided for staff to safely support them. Staff explained how they managed people’s risks, which included being mindful of the person’s home environment as well as the use of mobility aids.

Risk assessments were reviewed regularly, with people, to ensure any potential risks were well managed to reduce the risk of harm. This included risks associated with health, mobility needs or skin integrity.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

Assessments were completed to ensure people’s home environments were safe for them and the staff who supported them. Staff were able to describe the risks posed by the environment and how they managed and mitigated these to ensure people were safely supported. Any changes were reported to the management team, who updated risk assessments to ensure staff had up to date information available to them when providing care and support.

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 told us there were sufficient staff to meet their needs. One person said, “Staff arrive on time and stay as long as they should.” People were supported by a consistent staff team and people told us staff knew them well and understood their needs.

Staff had received training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to support people well. Staff told us they benefited from training and were confident when providing care and support.

Staff had been safely recruited. Pre-employment checks had been carried out by the provider to ensure staff were safe to work with people.

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.

People told us staff took action to reduce the risk of infection. One person said, “Staff wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) during the whole visit.” In their Provider Information Return (PIR) the provider told us, ‘Managers conduct routine and unannounced spot checks to confirm that policies around infection prevention and control were being followed in people’s homes’. We reviewed records and found spot checks were being carried out and these included the monitoring of the use of PPE. Where concerns were noted the management team had taken action to improve quality. Training records we reviewed showed staff had undertaken training in 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.

At the time of the inspection staff were not supporting people with their medicines. However, staff were trained to administer medicines, and there were established systems in place to support the safe management of medicines.

Where the provider had concerns about people who self-administered medicines not taking their medicines, they sought their consent to raise this with the GP. Where appropriate they had request medicines were dispensed in blister packs to support consistency. Records showed people’s prescribed medicines were checked regularly and any changes were documented to ensure people’s records were up to date.