Annabelle Care 2020 Ltd

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 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.

The provider completed incident forms and shared with external providers, such as the local authority when required. Risks were dealt with and not left. Raising concerns helped to proactively identify and manage risks before safety events happened.Incident forms were completed appropriately.

For example, staff recognised when there was a change in a person’s mobility and proactively referred to external services for support in order to mitigate risks.

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.

There were clear systems and processes in place when transitioned in or out of this service. The provider completed initial assessment with the person and those important to them, prior to commencing care. This means staff knew how people liked to be supported and what was important to them from the moment their care commenced.

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 understood their responsibilities and could clearly explain how to recognise, report and respond to safeguarding concerns. They had received appropriate training and felt confident raising concerns when needed.

The provider followed clear safeguarding procedures and worked effectively with local authorities and other professionals to protect people. Safeguarding concerns were appropriately recorded, investigated and acted upon, with learning used to improve practice.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe and were confident any concerns would be listened to and addressed. Safeguarding was understood to be everyone's responsibility, helping to ensure people’s rights, safety and wellbeing were promoted and protected.

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 involved in identifying and managing risks associated with their care and support. Assessments reflected people’s individual needs, preferences and circumstances, and risk management plans promoted independence while helping to keep people safe. People and, where appropriate, their relatives were consulted about decisions affecting their care.

Staff understood the risks relevant to the people they supported. Risk assessments were reviewed and updated when people’s needs changed. The provider worked collaboratively with people, relatives and other professionals to ensure risks were managed appropriately while respecting people’s rights, choices and desired outcomes.

People told us they felt involved in decisions about their care and support and were confident staff understood how to support them safely.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

Environmental risks were considered as part of the assessment and care planning process, enabling staff to support people safely in their own homes.

Staff had access to relevant information about environmental risks and understood the actions required to reduce the risk of harm. Care plans included safety information for people’s homes, such as where to find the water stopcock and where to locate smoke alarms.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe when receiving care and support. The provider worked with external professionals where required to ensure risks within the home environment were appropriately managed, helping to promote people’s safety and wellbeing. For example, the provider made referrals to the fire service with people’s consent if they needed equipment such as smoke alarms. This helped ensure people had access to safe fire equipment if needed.

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.

Appropriate pre-employment checks had been completed before staff began working with people. Staff received induction, training and ongoing support to develop the knowledge and skills required to provide safe and effective care. They demonstrated a clear understanding of people's needs and how to support them in line with their care plans.

People and their relatives spoke positively about the staff who supported them and told us care workers were punctual, reliable and responsive.

The staff were all familiar with the area where people were supported meaning time management and travel between visits was well managed.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection.

The provider had an infection prevention and control policy in place, and staff had completed the required training. Spot checks were undertaken to monitor staff practice and ensure they followed infection prevention and control procedures and guidance.

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.

Staff received appropriate training and support to carry out their roles, including competency assessments for medicines administration. Although medicines competency checks had not always been repeated as frequently as expected, there was no evidence this had impacted on the safety of people’s care.

The provider had effective systems in place to support the safe management of medicines. Monthly medicines audits and checks were completed to monitor practice, identify any discrepancies and ensure appropriate action was taken where required. Records demonstrated the provider maintained oversight of medicines management and used quality assurance processes to support safe practice.

There were clear arrangements for ordering, collecting and delivering medicines to people using the service. Staff had access to guidance and information to support them in administering medicines safely and in line with people's assessed needs. The provider's systems helped ensure people received their medicines as prescribed and reduced the risk of error.