Homefield Grange

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

Improvements had been made, embedded, and sustained within Homefield Grange around the management of risk, medicines safety and equipment. People were safe and protected from harm, procedures in place meant risks were managed well. There were enough staff who were skilled to provide care and support. People received medicines as prescribed. Lessons were learnt and shared from events within the home. Infection prevention and control measures were robust. Equipment and utilities within the home were monitored which meant people enjoyed a safe environment.

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 told us staff would help them to settle into the home and make improvements for them. One person said, “Staff helped me to change things around when I moved in, this was better for me after we tried it one way, it didn’t work.”

A learning and sharing culture was at the heart of the home. The provider had an electronic system which recorded accidents, incidents, and events within the home. This system enabled them to identify themes and trends and work on preventing or reducing the reoccurrence of these. Learning from events was shared within the home through various staff meetings and across the providers locations. Records showed processes were followed correctly and in line with the providers policy.

Learning and improving was important to staff, they told us about the many improvements since our last inspection. Staff were proud of their achievements and the registered manager was passionate about learning, sharing, and improving practices within the home. They told us and records showed they were part of sharing events and practice throughout the home and the providers locations weekly.

Joint working relationships were operating well, feedback collected during the assessment and inspection was positive.

Homefield Grange worked well with a variety of professionals to ensure good health and wellbeing of the people living there. The registered manager and deputy manager told us they had a good working relationship with external partners.

People and their relatives felt they benefited from joined-up care between the home and external professionals such as healthcare services. People told us they had access to medical support and specialist help if needed.

There were safe systems in place to ensure vital information was shared with the necessary external professionals. The providers electronic care planning system produced a summary of people’s key needs and requirements, this meant a safe transition between services, such as, admission to hospital.

We observed staff to be working in safe ways, discussing and reporting any concerns they had with senior staff.

Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place and staff knew the correct reporting procedures. Staff had received safeguarding training and in addition to this there were frequent reminders on the electronic systems and through meetings. Records showed all safeguarding concerns were logged, correctly followed up. Feedback received during planning of the assessment confirmed the home had worked well with their safeguarding partners.

Staff knew how to ensure people were protected from harm and abuse. They told us how they would raise concerns both within the home and outside. Staff were confident the registered manager would follow up any concerns and make the necessary referrals. Staff understood how to ensure people’s rights were fully respected and had received training in safeguarding adults during their induction and regularly. The registered manager was clear about the process to follow to ensure people were protected and concerns were reported and without delay. A staff member said, “I do feel that if I raise any concerns, they are being heard and acted upon.”

People told us they felt safe living at Homefield Grange. One person said, “Staff know how to look after me.” Another person told us they felt happy and cosy.”

Improvements had been made in the management of risk within the home. The registered manager told us they had worked hard around identifying and risk assessing to keep people safe. Staff showed us the process for updating and changing assessments. Staff told us the information they received about how to keep people safe was detailed and helped them to work together. One staff member said, “There is sufficient information about keeping the residents safe.”

People told us staff understood their risks and how to keep them safe. People’s assessments were detailed and improved information meant they were robust. People were involved in their creation, detailing how people wanted to live their lives.

People’s risks were assessed before and at the point they moved into the home. Risk assessments were created and maintained within the provider electronic care planning system. Assessments were updated regularly and as things changed. The electronic care planning system meant updates could be made instantly, this meant staff were referring to the most up to date information about people. All these measures contributed to robust safety with the management of risk.

We observed staff to be working in safe ways, for example, where people needed the support of equipment to help them to move around the home.

There were strict processes in place for the management of equipment and utilities within the home. People had individual plans in place to ensure safe evacuation of the home during an emergency. Staff had received training in health and safety and records confirmed this was up to date. The providers system held expiry dates, which were overseen by a designated member of the team. The provider had used external experts and contractors to undertake the checks. This meant they had been carried out by competent individuals.

People and their relatives told us the home was well maintained and equipment they used was in good working order. People were encouraged to bring in their personal effects and belongings into the home, they told us this was important to them. One person said, “Staff helped me to have all my things.”

We observed the home to be clear and free from clutter. Bright décor meant corridors were airy and wide, this meant people could move freely within the home. Equipment was maintained and had appropriate testing certification.

There was an ongoing maintenance, redecoration, and refurbishment plan. Staff told us they had fire safety training, including fire drills, records confirmed this. The registered manager shared a comprehensive planner of refurbishment which they told us would benefit people and staff.

Staff told us they thought there was enough staff planned on duty. Appreciating last minute shortages, they told us every effort was made to find replacements to support the home. Staff told us in these unplanned situations everybody helped each other.

We observed staffing to be sufficient during our inspection. Staff appeared busy, but not rushed. People’s call bells were answered in a reasonable amount of time.

People told us there were enough staff on duty to meet their needs. People told us staff came when they needed them.

Safe processes for staff management were in place. The number of staff working within the home had been planned to meet people’s needs and provide care and support safely. Continual assessment was carried out to calculate the number of staff needed. This was calculated using a collaborative approach between the registered manager and senior staff. Training records showed staff were up to date with their mandatory training and attended regular refresher training to ensure their knowledge and skills were kept updated. Supervision and appraisal records confirmed staff received the support they needed. Staff were recruited safely, and recruitment records reflected this. Procedures were in place to ensure the required checks were carried out on staff before they commenced their employment. This included enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for adults. DBS checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the police national computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

We observed staff to be applying the correct PPE when working. The home was clean, free from clutter and tidy. Dedicated staff were in place to ensure the standards of cleanliness were maintained.

Everyone was responsible for keeping the home clean and tidy. Due to global events within the past few years everyone had become more aware of the importance of cleanliness and hygiene. Staff told us they had enough personal protective equipment (PPE) to ensure they worked safely.

People and their relatives told us the home was clean and tidy; they had no concerns about cleanliness.

Infection prevention and control procedures were robust, underpinned by a comprehensive policy. Staff had access to plentiful supplies of cleaning materials, products, and PPE. Visitors to the home could come freely, advice was given if the visitor was experiencing any symptoms which could indicate infection, such as coughs or temperature.

Medicines records showed that they were given as prescribed for people. Detailed and personalised guidance protocols were in place for medicines prescribed ‘when required’. There were suitable arrangements for storage, recording and disposal, including for controlled drugs and medicines needing cold storage. Medicines audits took place to identify areas for improvement and any medicines errors or incidents were reported and investigated. However, there were not always assessments in place to show that individual risks had been considered for people taking medicines for blood thinning. We raised this with the registered manager and they immediately sought to rectify this.

Staff told us they felt the medicines systems worked well, and that they were well supported with medicines by the registered manager, the GP surgery and pharmacy. Staff had training and competency checks to make sure they gave medicines safely. They could describe how medicines errors or incidents were recorded and followed-up.

People received their medicines safely and in a caring way, as prescribed for them. People’s medicines were seen to be given in a safe and caring way. People were asked if they needed any medicines prescribed ‘when required’. There were detailed protocols to guide staff when these might be necessary. People’s preferences were recorded and considered, in the way that they liked to take their medicines. Medicines were kept under review by the pharmacist from the surgery.