AMG Nursing and Care Services - Crewe

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 requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to 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. For example, there was an incident and accident log in place. The registered manager had used this to record any learning from incidents and accidents. Any themes or additional learning opportunities were then discussed at team meetings.

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. For example, there was a strong focus on helping people regain independence and confidence after a hospital stay, with tailored support provided in the home environment. A healthcare professional told us, “People are very safely supported to come home from hospital and remain at home.”

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 told us they understood the action to take if they felt someone was being harmed or abused. One staff member said, “It is everyone’s job to keep an eye out and speak up if they are worried.” In addition to this, there were policies and procedures in place which were discussed with staff at the start of their employment with AMG Nursing and Support Services.

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 actively involved in discussions about risks related to their care. Staff listened to their views and preferences, helping them make informed choices. For example, we saw how a person had chosen to eat certain foods which they enjoyed. Their care plan clearly recorded the reason why they wished to do this, and other professionals had been involved in this discussion.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. Each person had an environmental risk assessment which took into account any pets, lighting, or fire risks in relation to people’s prescribed paraffin based creams.

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 completed an in depth induction which covered both mandatory training and more complex training. Staff had their competencies assessed regularly and any additional training needs were sourced. Staff were recruited and selected safely.

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 adequate stores of personal protective equipment and had completed infection control training.

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 given safely by staff who were trained to do so. Staff told us they had regularly had their competency checked by the lead nurses and records confirmed this.