Hales Group Limited - North East

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 requires improvement. At this inspection the rating has changed to 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. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. When accidents and incidents occurred, staff took appropriate action. A staff member commented, “There is immediate reporting to management, completion of incident forms, documentation in care records and follow-up actions taken.” The registered manager had a process in place to review incidents that occurred to identify any trends, patterns and lessons learnt and to share with staff to reduce risks to people. A staff member told us, “Management discuss the incident with staff and provide guidance and support.”

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. Systems were in place to ensure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services. A staff member commented, “All relevant information accompanies people, for example if they need to go to hospital.” The management team visited people to assess people’s needs and agree the level of support people needed.

The provider 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. Staff and leaders had received safeguarding adults training and knew how to raise any concerns. Relatives told us people were safe with staff support and trusted staff. A relative commented, “[Name] is safe with the carers and so am I, we have no worries at all.”

Management had completed risk assessments for people and had put measures in place to mitigate those risks. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs which was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. Care plans contained guidance for staff to follow to keep people safe.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. Risks associated with people’s individual environments were assessed before staff started supporting people within their homes.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. Staff received training and ongoing support from the service to carry out their roles safely. However, some people, and relatives commented roster management still needed some improvement, so people received consistent care and support from staff they knew and in a timely way. Their comments included, “The carers are rushing to get away”, “I am reasonably satisfied with the care. From week to week the carers change” and “You never know who is coming through the door.” We discussed people’s feedback with the registered manager. They told us there had been a change in management with the regular care co-ordinator, who had built up relationships with people in the affected area not being currently available. Staff meeting minutes showed it had been identified and was being addressed by the management team. Safe recruitment practices were followed to help ensure people were protected from staff unsuitable to work in the care sector.

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 told us they had access to the personal protective equipment (PPE) they required, and people confirmed staff wore this when required. A relative commented, “Staff are okay with hygiene standards, and wear PPE.” Staff received infection control training and competency checks.

There were policies and processes in place to ensure people received their medicines safely. Staff received training and competency checks to observe how they managed people’s medicines safely. A relative told us, “When the medicine is changed the staff take pictures of the prescription so that there are no errors in dosage.”