Bloomsbury Home Care - South Essex

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

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way which was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. Risks were assessed and mitigated. People were supported with medicines when needed. Staff had completed training to develop their skills to support people safely. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were employed after the appropriate recruitment checks were completed.

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 were supported by staff who had a proactive culture to raise concerns and learn from these.

The manager had systems in place to share learning with staff. People and staff were encouraged to raise concerns so that they could be investigated, and risks mitigated.

The provider had a number of reporting systems in place that were easily accessible for staff to raise accidents, incidents or safeguarding concerns. Alerts were monitored and investigated by the manager with learning and feedback shared with the staff team to mitigate further risks or concerns.

People were supported with a care package after their needs had been fully assessed.

The manager and team leaders assessed people’s needs before they started using the service to ensure the service could meet these needs safely.

We have not received any negative feedback from partner agencies.

When people were referred to the service a senior member of staff completed an assessment with them and arranged for a care package to be put in place that met their needs. All care packages were regularly reviewed and if any changes were needed this was identified and accommodated.

People were supported from the risk of abuse and felt safe using the service. A relative told us, “One thing that is positive is that she feels safe with staff caring for her and in her space.” Another relative said, “I know he feels safe and confident with his care.”

Staff had received training in how to safeguard people and knew how to raise any concerns with management or external agencies. One member of staff said, “If I had a safeguarding concern, I would raise with my team leader or manager and can go externally if I need to the CQC.” Another member of staff said, “I know how to raise safeguarding concerns, and I have done this when needed.”

Staff had received training in safeguarding, and this was discussed in staff meetings. The provider had policies in place for staff to raise safeguarding concerns and the systems they had in place made these easily accessible to staff. One member of staff said, “Where I have needed to raise a safeguarding to the local authority the manager worked with me to show me how to complete this and make the alert.” The manager had raised safeguarding concerns appropriately and had worked with the local authority to investigate these to ensure people were being safeguarded.

People were involved in planning their care and managing risks. Care plan and risk assessments were person centred and aim to provide positive outcomes for people whilst maintaining their choice and independence. A relative said, “Staff do support her well and look out for things she might trip on or hurt herself on.”

Staff managed people’s risks in a person-centred way to support their independence whilst supporting them safely.

When people started using the service a senior member of staff met with them to discuss and help identify risks to them and within their environment. Risk assessments and care plans were then put in place to guide staff to mitigate these risks and support people safely.

People felt safe whilst being supported in their homes.

Staff told us they had guidance on how to support people safely. This included how to maintain a safe and secure environment.

There were processes in place to complete risk assessments on people's home environment to ensure they remained safe and secure at home. Staff had guidance on how to access properties safely and to keep key safe information secure.

One person said, “The carers timing is not too bad; they turn up pretty much on time give or take half an hour or so.” Another person said, “We have never had a missed call, and the timing is not too bad really.” Some people told us they felt staff needed more training on dementia care and that some staff could have an abrupt manner.

The regional manager told us they had recently recruited a new manager and senior staff at the service. Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the new manager and felt there had been improvements made in communication, direction and culture at the service. Staff told us they had regular care rounds and had enough time allocated for care calls and travel.

The new manager had reviewed rotas so that staff now had regular care calls, which meant people received consistent support. We reviewed call data for 3 weeks and this showed 91% of calls were delivered within 15 minutes of the call times. Training had been reviewed and staff had been helped to complete train the trainer courses so that they could deliver training directly to staff. The manager told us where staff had been identified as needing further support with dementia training this had been arranged. Regular staff meetings, supervision and spot checks were in place. Senior staff told us they had enough time to support their team and where needed could also deliver some care calls. Appropriate checks were in place before staff started work including providing full work histories, references and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. DBS provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

People were supported by staff who had received training in infection prevention and control (IPC).

Staff told us they had access to personal protection equipment (PPE) and knew how to use this safely.

Staff had received IPC training, and their practice was observed during spot checks from senior staff. The manager had systems in place for providing PPE to staff to ensure they had access to this.

People were supported to take their medicines safely by staff when required. One person said, “They use a dosette box and staff know just what to do.” Another person said, “I do all my medicines, but staff are there if I need a nudge.”

Staff had received training in medicine management and had their competency checked to support people with medicines.

Staff had clear instructions on how to support people with medicines. There was an electronic medicine recording system in place which identified when people needed support with medicines and alerted if this had not been completed. The manager had audits in place to check medicines were being supported safely. Where needed staff supported people in obtaining repeat prescriptions and alerted GPs or pharmacies if there were issues.