De Bruce Court

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 felt safe and were enabled to take positive risks. Risk was assessed and continually monitored. Staff understood how to keep people safe and had received suitable training. There were enough staff and systems in place to ensure they were recruited safely. Staff learnt from mistakes. Medicines were managed well.

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 positive about the culture of the service and the care they received.

Staff told us there was a good learning culture, and we observed staff knew people well. Staff had opportunites to discuss items of importance in meetings and handover.

Processes were in place to learn from accidents and incidents and improve the quality of the service.

People were fully assessed before moving into the service and good partnership working took place with other service providers to ensure a safe transition. People told us they visited before moving in.

Staff told us people were fully risk assessed to ensure their safety.

Healthcare professionals told us the service worked well with others to ensure a safe move into the service.

Processes were in place to ensure safe systems were followed. This included an admission policy which was followed to ensure a safe transition to the service.

People and their relatives told us they felt safe living at the service.

Staff confirmed they would have no hesitation to report any concerns they had. One staff member said, “I reported an issue to the manager, and they dealt with it well. I would have no concerns about reporting anything.”

Observations confirmed staff had people’s safety at the forefront of their minds. Staff were observed to have the ability to be gentle and supportive in times of heightened anxiety and have the ability to calm situations before they potentially got out of control.

Staff had received safeguarding training, and a safeguarding and whistleblowing policy was in place to support the process around any issues arising. Concerns were discussed within the staff team in an open and transparent way to learn and keep people safe.

People told us they were involved with risk management. One person explained how staff kept them safe and what risk assessments had been completed with them.

Staff said people and staff were involved with risk management. One staff member told us, “Things are improving so much, management have taken our suggestions and implemented things to change for the better. People are receiving a great standard of care from hard working staff.”

People were kept safe by staff who followed risk assessments and positive behaviour plans.

There had been improvements made to risk assessments which included the importance of triggers and positive behaviour support.

People told us the environment was safe. One person said, “I use the hydro pool all the time and staff make sure I am safe in there.”

Staff told us fire drills took place and they felt the environment was a safe place to work. The manager told us, “We have updated decoration and this is ongoing, with further work planned.”

We observed the environment was safe. Facilities, equipment and technology are well-maintained and consistently support staff to deliver safe and effective care.

Various maintenance checks were in place, including related to fire safety. There was an easy read fire procedure available for those people with a learning disability.

People told us there were enough staff and they treated them well. They told us they appeared well trained.

Staff confirmed they had received a good induction and ongoing training and support. Staff told us there was enough staff.

Observations confirmed enough staff were on duty at all times, including for people who received 1-1 support. Staff appeared well trained and able to deal with complex situations that arose.

The provider had safe recruitment processes in place, including undertaking DBS checks and obtaining suitable references and right to work checks. DBS checks are important because they alert employers to individuals who are barred from working with people who receive a regulated activity.

People told us the service was clean and tidy. One person told us, “I help to keep my flat tidy and the staff help me if I need them too.”

Staff told us they had attended training in infection, prevention and control and health and safety.

Staff followed infection prevention and control measures. We did see one staff member entering the kitchen without appropriate PPE. This was going to be addressed by the manager, including moving PPE closer to the kitchen entrance, and having disposal areas close by too. The home was clean and tidy, and people appeared happy with the cleanliness of the building.

There were up to date infection control policies and procedures in place. Regular infection control audits and checks took place to ensure correct procedures were followed.

People who could, told us they received their medicines correctly and on time. People told us they felt their medicines were well managed. One relative said, “(About the staff) They manage meds well.”

Staff told us they had completed training in the safe administration of medicines and said they felt competent to do so.

Processes were in place for the safe management of medicines, including daily checks and regular audits. We did find a small number of ‘as required’ medicines records needed to be reviewed and updated and the manager told us this would be immediately addressed. The provider was also going to print out the returns list of medicines to make checking easier.