MMT Healthcare Limited

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 service. This key question has been rated good.

This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (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 demonstrated a positive commitment to maintaining safety by identifying and responding appropriately to changes in people's needs and levels of risk. Care records showed that risk assessments and care plans were reviewed and amended when required to help ensure people received safe care and support. Most staff told us they felt confident raising concerns with management and said these were taken seriously and addressed appropriately. One person described feeling “extremely safe”, explaining that staff were attentive and consistently ensured their needs were met.

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.

Pre-assessment information was completed prior to people using the service and shared with staff to help ensure they understood people's needs. Where additional support was required, referrals were made to relevant health and social care professionals. A family member described the service as “consistent and reliable”. People told us care staff arrived on time for most visits and communicated any changes promptly, helping to ensure people remained informed and reassured.

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 with the staff who supported them. One person described staff as “very kind and very patient”, which helped them feel comfortable and secure when receiving care. Families told us that, should they need to raise concerns, they felt these would be dealt with appropriately.

Staff had completed safeguarding training and demonstrated an understanding of how to recognise, respond to and report concerns to help protect people from the risk of harm.

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 and their relatives described being involved in decisions about care and support. One person told us, “They [staff] acknowledge when I want to do things myself.” Risk assessments and care plans were up to date and provided guidance for staff on how to balance people's independence with their safety. Most daily care records we reviewed were consistent with this approach and showed staff supporting people to make choices, maintain control and remain as independent as possible.

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 were supported safely in their own homes. People and families told us staff were careful when supporting mobility and daily activities. One person told us they felt ‘safe and well supported’. Staff received training in fire safety and health and safety to help ensure safe care and support. The provider reinforced the importance of maintaining a clean, tidy and safe environment through staff meetings.

People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had the skills, knowledge and experience to meet their needs. Safe recruitment practices were followed to help ensure staff were suitable to work with people. Staff completed an induction and received training relevant to their roles, with competencies assessed to support safe and effective practice. People and their families told us staff were well trained to meet their needs, with one person describing staff as, “excellent.”

Staff feedback was generally positive regarding staffing levels and the ability to meet people’s needs safely. One staff member told us, “I feel staffing levels are generally safe and allow us to meet people’s needs.” Whilst one staff member acknowledged that workloads could be high at times and additional staffing during busy periods may be beneficial, the overall feedback from staff was that there were enough staff to provide safe care.

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 received infection prevention and control (IPC) training and had sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) for personal care tasks. One staff member told us, “PPE is always available and restocked regularly, and the management responds quickly ensuring prompt supply when running low.”

People received support with their medicines from trained staff. Care plans contained information about people's medicines and how these should be administered, including circumstances where people may require medicines on an ‘as required’ basis.

We reviewed electronic medication administration records (eMARs) and identified some inconsistencies in the recording of medication instructions. This meant records did not always fully reflect the prescribed directions. The management team told us they would undertake a full review of eMAR records to ensure medication information accurately reflects prescribing instructions and supports the safe administration of medicines. This error did not have any impact on people receiving their medications.