Beda Homecare Ltd trading as Home Instead Bedford

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

There were robust systems in place to make sure people were safe from avoidable harm. People were informed about any identified risks and were supported to stay safe, and staff empowered people to take positive risks, to help maintain their independence and well-being. Staffing levels were sufficient to fully meet people’s needs and staff were matched to people ensuring excellent relationships between people and staff. Staff received training that was appropriate and relevant to their role and was specific to the people they were supporting. Staff received support, supervision and appraisals.

This service scored 81 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

People told us they felt their care and support was managed and provided safely. One person told us, “Yes I am safe, I am incredibly happy with the service they provide.” Another told us, “I am absolutely and completely safe. I am wheelchair bound; when 1 of them is with me if I need to stand up, they are next to me and make sure I hold on. It makes me feel safe.” Relatives echoed these sentiments. One said, “[Family member] is absolutely safe. The carers support [family member] on the stair lift, they watch and don't leave them on their own. They do things safely.” Another commented, “I can honestly say, I feel [family member] is completely safe.” We saw that in the last satisfaction survey, 100% of people asked said staff made them feel safe when they visited.

Discussions with staff demonstrated they were skilled at recognising when people were at risk of potential harm or felt unsafe. Staff told us they felt comfortable to report unsafe practice and had confidence that any concerns they raised would be listened to and action taken by the registered manager or others. One staff member informed us, "Keeping people safe is our priority and our duty of care. I think whistleblowing is so important and I would have no hesitation whatsoever in reporting anything I was concerned about."

The provider had suitable adult safeguarding systems and procedures in place. The registered manager maintained and monitored records of concerns to help ensure these were responded to effectively and learnt from. We saw safeguarding training was considered essential by the registered provider and all staff completed this and regular refresher courses. The training records and discussions with staff confirmed this. The provider reported safeguarding concerns as required to the relevant agencies.

People told us they felt their care and support was managed and provided safely and that they were involved in the risk management process. One person said, “They assess my risks. The main concern for me is getting in and out of the shower. The carers are well aware of that, and they think ahead to make sure I’m safe.” A relative told us, “[Family member] has a bed alarm and risk pendent from the falls team and the carers arranged for a community Occupational Therapist (OT) to visit due to the risk of falls.”

People were empowered to take positive risks, to ensure they had greater choice and control of their lives. The positive risk-taking approach demonstrated by the service showed they respected people's right for independence and their right to take risks. The registered manager told us about 1 person with swallowing difficulties who had been advised to eat a soft diet only. However, the person, who had capacity to make decisions for themselves had wanted to continue to eat the foods they enjoyed. To ensure the person was able to do this safely all relevant professionals were made aware of the persons choice and control measures were put in place to reduce the risk of choking. To ensure the person’s voice continued to be heard a consistent live-in care team was put in place so that staff could build trusting relationships and understand the persons needs fully. The staff team for this person completed relevant training in areas that were vital to supporting them to stay safe. This meant the person was able to stay at home with their family. The registered manager commented, “Investing in our team’s learning and development is invaluable. It allows us to offer comprehensive healthcare services, supporting clients like [person] to remain in their homes and participate in family life. The ongoing collaboration with specialist teams and continuous training ensures that our staff are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of our clients and the future of providing healthcare at home services.”

The service had effective systems in place to help people understand and manage risk. Staff advised people how to keep safe and any areas of concern were discussed with them and recorded in their care plans. Risks to people were assessed and monitored and risk assessments were incorporated into people’s care plans. These included areas that were important to them, such as their individual health and daily living. People’s care plans and risk assessments were regularly reviewed and updated as their needs changed. Staff completed a range of training to help them provide care safely, such as moving and handling, health and safety, food hygiene and basic life support. Staff recorded accidents and incidents. These were analysed and audited on a regular basis, so any trends could be identified, and action could be taken to help prevent recurrences. The electronic care planning system in use meant updates could be made instantly. All these measures contributed to the safe management of risk within the service.

We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

There were sufficient qualified, skilled and experienced staff to fully support people and meet their needs. A relative said, “I think there is enough staff. If [family member] needs more help they would be accommodating, I’m sure they would. They are flexible and as long as [family member] is happy, I am happy.” People felt that staffing at weekends was also consistent and there were always enough staff to support them. One person told us, “I don’t have any problems at weekends.” A relative commented, “The office girls are in management in the week, and they go out at weekends which is good as they can see [people] and they know [family member] really well.” People told us that they had a regular team of staff who knew them well and it was important to them to have that consistency. One person commented, “They have given us 3 regular carers, which is great.” Another commented, “I have the same carers all the time. If I am going to have a new one, they are introduced to me first.” The registered manager said that having staff with the right values and skills was essential and people using the service were involved in the recruitment process. For example, people who received live-in care were involved and supported to recruit and choose the staff they wanted to care for them. People receiving homecare were matched to staff with the right skills and interests to ensure that successful applicants had the right values and skills to support people in line with their preferences. The interview was conducted by the office team, and a “this is me “ tool was used match a staff member a person. There would then be an introduction to 3 staff members where the person could ask questions and choose the person they liked best to be their main care staff member.

The registered manager and provider told us keeping the same staff with people where possible was their priority. One staff member told us, “When we first start a care package, we try very hard to match people to staff. We look at the staff skills and personalities. Then we make sure that person gets to see the same staff team which we know is very important to people.” Every member of staff we spoke with without exception praised the provider's robust approach to the training and up-skilling of staff. They told us that training was adapted to meet their different learning needs to ensure excellent quality of care could be provided consistently. Staff said they received regular supervision and annual appraisals, and staff performance monitoring was included in the supervision process. Staff told us they were very well supported and 1 commented, “[Provider] is very supportive of all the staff and makes me feel like part of the family. I know I can go to them at any time for support in any area and I am always made to feel at ease. I can air my views if I have any concerns and always feel listened to.” A culture of developing staff to reach their potential had been established. Staff felt invested in, given the opportunities for self-development available to them. New staff were required to complete a comprehensive induction and did not work alone until assessed as competent in practice. Staff told us there was an excellent buddy system that ensured new staff had full support from a consistent and experienced member of staff.

There were effective processes in place to ensure there were always enough appropriately experienced and qualified staff on shift. The management team followed safe recruitment procedures, to ensure only suitable staff worked in the service. Training records showed staff completed mandatory, as well as specialised additional training that was appropriate to the people staff they supporting. For example, if staff were supporting a person with a specific health condition, they would complete relevant training to ensure they could support that person safely. The registered manager took care to ensure people were well matched with staff who they liked and who complemented their interests and preferences. For example, 1 person who did a photography course was matched with a person who was a keen photographer, and they enjoyed going out taking photos together. Another staff member who enjoyed cooking was matched with a person who loved good food. They cook meals together and often enjoy a lunch time meal. The management team knew how important the staff were to the success of the service and the quality of support people had. Staff training had been developed and delivered around each person, that included families and carers. Records showed that training was monitored and kept up to date. Records provided evidence that staff had regular one-to-one supervisions and annual appraisals. Staff’s performance was monitored and managed well. Safe recruitment practices were followed for staff working with children and adults. Checks were carried out including references and the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.