Clovecare Limited

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• 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

People received safe care. Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff had received training in safeguarding adults. Staff were knowledgeable of the risks to people’s safety and how to support them to minimise those risks. During this assessment we identified that some information about risks to people’s safety and how to support people with those risks were not recorded in their care records. As soon as this was reported to the registered manager, the care records were updated with all available information about how to provide safe care to people. People felt safe receiving care from their care workers. People were supported by consistent care workers who knew them well. Staff rotas were planned to enable staff to have sufficient time to support people and travel between calls. Staff received regular training to ensure their skills and knowledge were up to date and enable them to provide safe care.

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.

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.

Staff told us they supported people to feel safe. People were kept safe from avoidable harm because staff knew them well and understood how to protect them from abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. A staff member told us, “If I see any obvious sign of something, I do what I can to protect them.” The registered manager told us there was space at the office for staff to have open and transparent conversations with them should they have any concerns about people’s safety. They made safeguarding adults’ information available to people, relatives and care workers so they were aware of the process should they have any concerns to raise.

There was a safeguarding policy and procedure in place to manage safeguarding concerns. At the time of our assessment, the service had never experienced a safeguarding concern, but the registered manager was clear about the process to follow to ensure people were protected and concerns were reported and investigated promptly.

People felt safe with their care workers. One person told us, “I feel very safe.” A relative said, “My mother is very safe as she has a regular care worker that she trusts.” People felt able to speak openly with the management team and able to speak up if they had any concerns regarding their safety.

Risk assessments were not always in place for areas of known risk. Although the registered manager had a clear understanding of risks to people’s care, we found risk assessments had sometimes not been completed in areas such as people’s skin integrity, mobility and risk of falls. People’s care plans did not always include sufficient information for care staff in managing known risks to people’s care. For example, we read one person had skin integrity issues, and although they were seen by multi- disciplinary professionals to manage this, their care plan was unclear on how care staff should manage their personal care. We spoke with the registered manager about this as well as other examples of missing risk assessments. They ensured all identified areas were addressed shortly after our site visit, by completing clear and comprehensive risk assessments and updating people’s care plans to clarify all known areas of risk. The registered manager also confirmed they would review the risk assessments and care plans of all other people using the service shortly after our site visit.

Staff confirmed they had access to up to date information about people’s individual risks and how they were to be managed. Staff were aware of common risks to people’s safety and what preventative measures to put in place. A staff member told us, “I make sure everything around them is safe and they feel safe with us.” When people experienced anxiety or were feeling distressed, staff told us they took the time to sit with the person and ensure their comfort. A staff member told us, “If they are anxious, I sit and talk to them. If she’s got someone from the hospital coming, she gets anxious. I stay with her and reassure her and hold her hand.” The registered manager confirmed they discussed with people, relatives and referring professionals any risks to people’s safety and how these were to be managed. During their assessments they observed people in their home environment to identify if they needed any equipment to support with risk management. The registered manager said they liaised with other healthcare professionals as required in order to manage risks and keep people safe.

People were aware of the risks to their safety and told us staff supported them to remain safe. A relative told us, “[My family member] is never rushed and they complete the job in a very safe and professional manner.” People and relatives told us staff used equipment appropriately in order to support people safely and that staff monitored their health to identify any deterioration in people’s health. Comments included, “The care workers are amazing and they keep [my family member] safe when providing personal care as they use slide sheets to move her in bed.” “They monitor their skin and keep it creamed to make sure they have no bed sores.” “They ensure my [family member’s] skin is intact and always check for red marks.” “The care workers are well trained in how to use the equipment and safely transfer [my family member].”

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

People told us they were supported by consistent care workers who knew them well and provided the level of support they required. They confirmed staff turned up on time and stayed the required amount of time to meet their needs. A relative told us, “It is wonderful that she has good continuity of care and they always stay for the time allocated.” People confirmed that staff were experienced, skilled and knowledgeable in their role and how to provide safe care. Comments included, “I trust the carers with my [family member’s] care and they are very well trained.” “They are experienced care workers who are very professional.” “They are trustworthy and well trained.”

There were appropriate staffing levels to make sure people received consistent, safe and good quality care that meets their needs. Staff confirmed they had sufficient time scheduled to meet people’s needs. They told us, “We always have enough time,” “We have plenty of time.” Staff confirmed they had access to training to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to undertake their duties, and they were able to attend regular refresher courses. Staff felt well supported in their role. One staff member told us, “We all help one another. If you have a problem, the managers are out straight away with you, they are very much hands on, which I like.” The registered manager confirmed they had sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. They allocated staff to support people based on staff’s experience and skill set, as well as people’s preferences and mutual interests. The registered manager told us they monitored staff’s compliance with mandatory training and had introduced competency checks to ensure staff retained the information learnt during training.

Safe recruitment practices were in place to ensure appropriate staff were employed who were competent and of good character. This included obtaining references from previous employers, character references, checking staff’s identity and eligibility to work in the UK, and completing disclosure and barring service checks (DBS). Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions. Staff received training appropriate and relevant to their role. The training matrix showed staff were up to date with their mandatory training and attended regular refresher training to ensure their knowledge and skills remained up to date. Supervision and appraisal records confirmed staff received the support they needed to deliver safe care. Call log data showed people received support from a consistent care worker. The data confirmed staff arrived at the planned visit time and stayed the required length of time to meet people’s needs and ensure safe delivery of care.

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.