North Tyneside Learning Disability Service

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 full assessment for this 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. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.Processes for investigating, analysing, and responding to accidents, incidents, complaints, and safeguarding alerts were in place, with systems for families, people and staff to raise concerns or share views. Relatives told us they were informed when things went wrong, and they were able to contribute their views about how to rectify problems. One staff member said, “I find Homegroup transparent when reporting anything.”

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.Staff supported people to access healthcare and community services. Staff provided information for other professionals about people’s communication, healthcare and social needs. This helped to ensure everyone involved in their care gave people the support they needed. Relatives told us that transition to the service was not good but felt much more confident in the new management currently in place.

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 and managers worked with the local authority and other external partners to investigate any allegations of concerns and put in place plans to protect people from harm.One person said they felt safe, and everyone’s family confirmed their loved ones were safe. One person said, “Yes I am safe, the staff are lovely.”

The provider worked with people and their relatives 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. Some people expressed their anxiety in a physical way. Staff were trained to keep themselves and others safe. Care records contained risk assessments, including supporting positive risk taking to ensure people could continue living a fulfilling life.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.Regular checks of equipment and the environment took place. Documentation was in place to support this. Fire risk assessments were in place and regularly reviewed. People had emergency evacuation plans to support evacuation from the service in the event of a fire or other emergency.We discussed nighttime staffing arrangements and asked the management team to review these after comments from staff indicating ‘waking night’ staff should be available. This means staff awake during the night, instead of sleeping as is the current position. The provider told us there was no evidence to indicate this was required, but that they would keep this under review and discuss with staff and relevant health care professionals and families.

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. A relative said, “I am happy now, but when they took over the contract they had a lot of agency staff.” This had now improved with consistency of staff in place. Staff worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.Staff completed training as deemed mandatory by the provider. We received staff feedback indicating that more enhanced epilepsy, autism and mental health training would be beneficial. The provider was planning to address this.Safe recruitment procedures were followed. This included requesting references, and having a Disclosure and Barring Service check completed before new staff started working at the service.

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.Processes for investigating, analysing, and responding to accidents, incidents, complaints, and safeguarding alerts were in place, with systems for families, people and staff to raise concerns or share views. Relatives told us they were informed when things went wrong, and they were able to contribute their views about how to rectify problems. One staff member said, “I find Homegroup transparent when reporting anything.”

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning where possible, including when changes happened. People were supported to self-administer their medicines if they had capacity to do this.Any medicines incidents were appropriately reported and investigated, so measures could be put in place to prevent a recurrence and learning could be shared.