Disablement Association of Barking and Dagenham Also known as DABD (uk)

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

We found the service was providing safe care. Systems were in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Risk assessments were in place which included information about how to mitigate the risks people faced. The provider had robust staff recruitment processes in place. The provider had taken steps to reduce the risk of the spread of infection.

This service scored 72 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Staff received training relevant to their roles, which helped them to provide the appropriate support to people to improve their experience of the care they received. Training included training on person-centred care, safeguarding and privacy and dignity.

The staff and Managers told us that they offered a comprehensive training package to staff to support their learning. They told us that such courses as moving and handling, nutrition, medication and fire safety were some of the courses the provider offered to their staff. Staff told us that they are sent courses to complete and have access to training that will help them give the support that people need.

The Managers told us that as well as offering a wide range of training to their staff they also created opportunities for staff to meet at sessions they called, ‘lunch and learn’. We heard how these sessions provided staff with an opportunity to talk to each other as well as hear about changes that occurred regarding best practice. Staff told us that there was a mixture of training, a lot of on line training and more recently there had been more face to face training where people can talk to each other and ask questions.

Relatives told us that when people first started using the service their needs were assessed by the provider to help ensure a smooth transition and that their needs were met.

The provider told us that following a referral from the local authority they carried out an assessment to make sure people get the safe care and the correct staffing levels they need. They ensured they had all of the information about a person’s health, their associated risks as well as any interests the person had. A staff member told us about how a person's needs had changed and how they required access to specialist support. The staff member was able to tell us how to obtain this support in order to meet the person’s changing needs.

The host local authority carried out a monitoring visit of the service in July 2024. They expressed satisfaction with the service, rating them as Good overall. They reported that care plans included background information about the person which was helpful with transitions from different care settings. They said that, “Care & Support plans include effective arrangements for when service users are transferred to another service. All information is recorded.”

The Manager showed us that they had developed a new assessment form to better capture the information needed to offer the right support to the people the organisation offers a service to.

Relatives told us they did not have any concerns with regard to safeguarding of their relatives and protecting them from abuse.

Staff told us about the different things that the provider offered to ensure that people were safe. They told us about the regular training received by staff which helped them understand what abuse is, how to report it and who to report it to. They told us about the formal processes such as supervision and the whistleblowing policy, where they can share their concerns. They also told us about the informal processes such as ad-hoc meetings where staff can talk about concerns with Managers and other colleagues. The staff we met were able to tell us how they would report abuse and told us they felt confident that they would be able to do this.

The provider had a safeguarding procedure for adults and children. This made clear their responsibility to report any allegations of abuse to the local authority and the Care Quality Commission. There was also a whistle blowing policy in place. The provider told us there had not been any safeguarding allegations in the past 6 months.

Relatives told us they felt people were safe when using the service. One relative told us, “I feel completely happy with [care staff]. I know [person] is safe with them if I go out and leave them together.”

The provider told us how they have worked with a range of different people to learn about the risks people face. They told us how they sought information from families about risks. They also told us that they worked alongside other services such as day centres and schools for the younger people they had supported. The Manager added that they worked with the person to get to know them and gauge by their reactions, using their professional judgement to assess the level of risk. The provider also told us how they supported people with health concerns such as epilepsy. They said that they had risk assessments in place to manage such conditions and that their staff were trained to support people with epileptic seizures. The staff told us they knew the people well and had been working for them a long time so were very familiar with associated risks that people faced.

The provider told us how they gathered information through their assessment, identifying known risks. Through the assessment process they also identified what things a person wants to do and the support they need to maintain their safety, minimising risks whilst helping the person to become more independent. We heard how the provider talked to family members separately about aspects of the care of their family member including risk as a way ensuring that all aspects of safe care and support were met.

Managers told us risk assessments covered the physical environment at people's homes.

Risk assessments were in place which covered risks associated with the physical environment.

The local authority reported that staffing levels were in line with those commissioned by the local authority, in order to meet people’s assessed needs. Relatives told us that staff were punctual and stayed for the full amount of time. A relative said, “The regular carer is very punctual. They arrive on the dot and leave on the dot.” However, one relative said there was not much flexibility in times that support could be provided. They said, “There is not much flexibility, everything has to be arranged maybe a month in advance.”

The Manager’s we met told us about the systems they used to ensure that their staff delivered safe and effective care. They told us how they worked closely with families to monitor punctuality and performance of staff and how the feedback they received will help improve staff performance. As well as training offered to staff the provider told us how they periodically surveyed families for comments in order to find out ways to continually improve the overall quality of support they offered. The provider had robust staff recruitment practices in place. These included various checks of prospective staff, such as employment references, proof of identification and criminal records checks.

During our assessment we saw that the provider was following recruitment and employment checks that was required of them. The provider told us about their arrangement for cover when staff were absent. They told us how they had another carer nominated to provide back up cover in such a situation.

Relatives told us that staff wore PPE when providing support to people with personal care.

The provider told us that infection prevention training was part of mandatory training offered to all of their staff. Staff told us how they helped families maintain a safe standard of hygiene when supporting people in their homes.

The Manager of the organisation told us that they provided staff with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) which included gloves, aprons and masks when necessary in order to minimise risks of infection. We heard how staff visited the central office to pick up PPE when stocks were low in the homes of people they supported. Staff told us how they were supplied with personal protective equipment such as gloves to help prevent the risk of infections.

Relatives told us that they administered medicines and the service was not involved with this.

The people supported by the provider lived with their families who were responsible for administering medication. Staff told us how they could administer epilepsy medication in an emergency situation, they told us how they were given training to do this.

Although the service did not provide support with medicines we were told that this could be provided if required. There was a medicines policy in place to provide guidance and staff had undertaken training about medicines administration.