Care 4 U - 466 Melton Road

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

People received safe care and were protected from the risk of abuse and harm. People's care was delivered by the appropriate number of staff at the time it was arranged. Their support needs and risks were assessed and care plans provided staff with the information they needed to manage the identified risk. Systems in place ensured people's changing needs were met. Staff were trained and recruited safely. People received their medicines safely and effective infection prevention and control (IPC) practice ensured people were protected from the risk of infectious diseases.

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.

People and relatives told us they had good relationships with staff and felt staff knew them well and they were treated with compassion. A relative told us, "[Name] is treated with great dignity and respect.“ When concerns were raised these were dealt with promptly. For example, a relative said, "A long while ago we used to have 5 or 6 different carers a week, but this improved when we raised it and continuity is now excellent with 3 carers who rotate.” Another relative told us, "I have good communication with the office, they ring me regularly to see how things are going and send me feedback forms. I always fill them in and have lots of positive things to say about them."

Managers told us they were open, honest and transparent with people who used the service, and they encouraged people to contact should they need to. They added, feedback received enabled people's experience to be improved. Staff told us they followed managers encouragement to seek people's experience or any concerns they held during their care calls. People's feedback confirmed they followed this.

There was a culture of accountability and learning lessons when things went wrong. Accidents and incidents were investigated, recorded and reported to the relevant agencies. The provider worked in partnership with local authorities.

Through feedback we received people and their relatives commented on how they were supported by staff who followed other health professionals recommendations and guidance to meet their specific needs. For example, One relative told us, “[Name] has a catheter and they [staff] are well trained in managing this and alerting the district nurse to a potential blockage.” This demonstrates that the provider is working in partnership with other services in a timely and consistent way for people.

Staff told us they followed external professionals recommendations to ensure people’s care needs were met. For example, through discussions with staff they assured us they followed external professionals recommendations to ensure people’s care needs were met. Managers told us they worked well with other professionals and knew when to make timely referrals for additional support for people, or request a review of their needs.

People’s needs were detailed within their care plans and risk assessments. An electronic care planning system meant records and information were up to date and could be immediately adapted. Staff spoke positively about the system, the accuracy of the information stored within it, and how it supported them to deliver people's care.

All people and relative's we spoke told us they received safe care. One relative told us, "[Name] is very safe with the carers as she has the same girls which we know and trust.” Another relative said, “We [family] are delighted with the care and have no concerns. They are very safe with them."

Staff had received safeguarding training. Staff we spoke with assured us they knew how to ensure people were protected from harm and abuse. One staff member told us, "If i had any concerns about anyone from something i had heard or witnessed i would report it. I know managers here would listen to me if i did but if they didn't i would report it to you [CQC] or the safeguarding team." Managers we spoke with told us they encourage staff to come to them with any concerns and they knew their responsibilities to investigate and report any matters that related to harm and abuse people may be at risk from promptly.

Robust safeguarding procedures and policies were in place. Staff had received safeguarding training and knew what to report and who to if they had concerns. There was good oversight of safeguarding matters. Records reviewed showed any safeguarding concern was recorded, investigated and reported to the relevant agencies as required. Feedback from the local authority during planning of our assessment confirmed this.

People’s preferences were sought on how they wished to be supported and these were recorded in their plans of care. People and relatives told us staff knew how to use equipment and keep people safe. One relative told us, “[Name] has slide sheets for their bed and when the carers remove any items of clothes they are very gentle, so they don’t rub the skin. We [family] are very confident in the carers."

Staff told us they had received medicines training and felt able to support people safely with their medication. Staff told us all the relevant information including people's preferences were included in people's care plans which they could continually access on their portable devices when in the community delivering care.

People's individual needs and risks were assessed prior to care being delivered and people and their relatives were involved. Detailed electronic care plans and risk assessments were in place to safely manage risks to people's health and well-being. The electronic system informed staff what type of care was required to be delivered at each care call. All of the people we spoke with told us they received the care that had been planned for. Staff informed managers if they identified any change in people's needs. Reviews of care were undertaken routinely, and promptly if their had been any sudden change in people's needs.

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 and their relatives told us staff were competent in their roles and were assured they were trained well from their experience of receiving care from them. One relative told us,"[Name] is very safe with the carers and they know and trust them well. They [staff] do their job well." Another relative told us, "I have great confidence in their [staff] ability." Rotas reviewed confirmed people received their care at the time it was arranged. A relative told us, "The carers come on time and stay for the allocated time slot."

Staff told us training they received enabled them to deliver safe care, and how their practise was supervised and checked frequently, gave them assurance their skills and knowledge were up to date. Staff told us there were enough of them to carry out their roles effectively and timely. Managers told us their cohort of staff was consistent and some staff had been employed for a long period One manager said, "This enables us, [service], to provide people with consistent care from regular staff."

Systems and processes in place ensured people received care from suitably qualified and experienced staff. New staff received a comprehensive induction and were shadowed by experienced staff until they were deemed competent enough to undertake their role and had undertaken the requisite training. Training was delivered face to face and online. An on site training room at the head office was used to train and update staff on practices such as manual handling. Managers undertook spot checks of staff at people's homes to ensure they observed care being delivered in line with best practice reflecting the training they received. Processes in place and our review of records confirmed the provider recruited new staff safely to ensure they were suitable for their roles.

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.

People received their medicines when they needed them. None of the 5 people we spoke with raised any concerns about the support they received with their medicines. A relative told us, “[Name] has pharmacy blister packs and the carers ensure they take their medicine in the morning, there have never been any errors.”

Staff told us they had received medicines training and felt able to support people safely with their medication. Staff told us all the relevant information including people's preferences were included in people's care plans which they could continually access on their portable devices when in the community delivering care.

A medicines policy was in place that reflected current best practice. Each person had a medicines care plan and an electronic medicines recording system was used by staff to record the administration of medicines. The system advised staff when a medicines was required to be administered at each care call. Medicines audits were carried out on a regular basis to identify any recording or administration errors.