Positive Steps Shropshire 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.

At our last inspection 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 service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. The management team investigated incidents, accidents and near miss occurrences to see if anything could be done differently. For example, following an incident where 1 person became disorientated to their surroundings the provider worked with them to identify what they could do differently. They identified practical strategies the person could use to minimise the risk of it happening again. They also worked with the person to develop emotional coping strategies on how to react if such a situation happened again and how to apply these strategies to other areas of their life.

The service worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. When people’s individual needs changed, they were referred onto other healthcare providers without delay. Everyone we spoke with told us they were encouraged to take responsibility for their own healthcare needs. Positive Steps Shropshire Limited provided practical and emotional support as well as equipping people to positively engage with healthcare partners. Everyone had a detailed care and support plan which included specifics on what information needed to be passed to other health care partners to ensure people received consistent care which met their needs.

The service worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. They concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. When it was necessary the service shared concerns quickly and appropriately to ensure people remained safe. One person told us they had no issues at all with the staff or the management and felt able to contact them anytime 24 hours a day if they were concerned about anything. They told us this was, “Very reassuring.” Staff told us they felt confident in escalating safeguarding issues when necessary and understood how to report concerns to the provider, Police and Local Authority in order to keep people safe.

The service worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. They provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. People had individual assessments of risks associated with their care and support. These included, but were not limited to mobility, specific health conditions and emotional management. Everyone we spoke with told us they felt safe. One person said they felt comforted and reassured as Positive Steps Shropshire Limited were involved and looking out for their safety.

The service detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, and facilities were generally maintained for the delivery of safe care. However, people remained responsible for their own homes. Despite this Positive Steps Shropshire Limited completed a risk assessment to ensure the environment was safe for people to receive care. One person told us they had fire detectors and smoke alarms. They were encouraged by the care staff to test these on a regular basis to keep safe.

The service 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. Everyone we spoke with told us staff arrived on time and stayed for the expected amount of time. Additionally, everyone spoke about the complete flexibility of staff and how they adapted to meet people’s needs or wishes. One person told us they wanted to do a specific activity, but this was outside of their agreed support hours. However, they spoke with the office staff, and a staff member was made available to support them. This person went on to talk about their specific motivation and how this was increased by a provider who adapted to support them where possible.

The provider followed safe recruitment checks to ensure only suitable persons were employed to support people. Following the safe recruitment of staff, they engaged in a period of induction training to ensure they were competent to support people. One staff member said, “My induction included mandatory training modules such as health safety, safeguarding, medication, and manual handling. I also had the opportunity to shadow experienced staff, which helped me understand the daily routines, expectations, and best practices.”

The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading. People were supported by staff who had received training in infection prevention and control and knew how best to support them in a safe way. One person told us the staff always wore protective equipment, such as gloves, when assisting them.

The service made sure medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. They involved people in planning, including when changes happened. One person told us they had some difficulty taking a specific type of medicine. Staff members supporting them, undertook additional training to support and guide them to independently take this medicine. People told us they received their medicines as prescribed by a trained and competent staff team. One staff member said, “I completed a medicines management training course and underwent a competency assessment to ensure I administer medication correctly and safely.”