LadyB Health Care Recruitment Agency's Ltd

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

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. This is the first inspection for this service since they were registered in November 2022. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

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.

The service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. There were processes in place for the reporting of any accidents and incidents and the registered manager was aware of procedures to follow. However, as there had been no incidents or accidents at this service, we were unable to see whether this process was used effectively. All of the staff said they were confident the registered manager would listen to any of their safety concerns. Staff told us they were given feedback after spot checks to acknowledge best practice and also identify any areas for improvement. The registered manager said, “If there was an incident or accident, we would review what had happened, evaluate what went wrong and provide training to prevent it from happening again.”

The service worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. Whilst the provider had limited opportunities to liaise with healthcare partners due to the size of the service, this was done for a person where their needs had changed. A health and social care professional said, “I was very involved in the beginning when setting up the care. The manager communicated well and contacted me immediately about a change in needs."

The service worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. They concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. Although there had been no safeguarding investigations at the service, there were systems in place and the registered manager and staff had a good understanding of their responsibilities. Staff completed safeguarding training and were confident the registered manager would respond immediately to any concerns they raised.

The service worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. They provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. Relatives confirmed they had been involved when discussing risks and told us staff knew how to keep their family members safe. A relative told us staff had a very good understanding in managing a specific risk when they provided care. They added, “The staff don’t panic, they know what to do and I don’t need to tell them. They do this very well.” Where a person’s care plan lacked sufficient detail regarding guidance for staff to follow when managing a particular risk, the registered manager acknowledged this. They said it had been discussed with staff but would update the record with the relevant information right away.

The service detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. The provider completed an environmental risk assessment within people’s homes during the initial assessment to check if it was safe for staff to carry out the necessary tasks. This included checks around fire safety and a household hazard checklist.

The service made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs. People and their relatives complimented the care staff on their experience and knowledge and said they understood how to provide their care and support. Staff were positive about their training and supervision opportunities to ensure they understood their responsibilities. Comments included, “The training was very helpful. We got to do a lot of practical stuff, like using a hoist and how to move people in bed” and “We are always discussing training and we are reminded it will increase our experience and knowledge."

The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. The provider observed staff and checked they were following best practice and wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) during routine home visits. Staff confirmed this and said they had completed training and were always provided with sufficient supplies of PPE. A staff member added, “We are also reminded about this in staff meetings and our supplies are always topped up before they run out."

At the time of the inspection, people were not being supported with any medicines, as this was the responsibility of relatives. This was confirmed by relatives and the care workers. There was a medicines policy in place and the registered manager told us this was an area of support they could provide if needed. We shared The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for managing medicines in the community with the provider during the inspection to ensure they were aware of best practice.