Yorkshire Community Healthcare

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 registered service. This key question has been rated good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

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.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. For example, we saw safeguards had been put into place following a complex incident in 1 person’s home. The provider explained to us this was to ensure all staff as well as people they supported were protected. They explained how they had closely worked with other agencies to ensure the right outcome for everyone involved.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services. For example, complex care packages were thoroughly assessed by the clinical lead at Yorkshire Community Healthcare, and an in depth Multi-Disciplinary meeting took place to ensure support was provided for staff around training and competencies.

The provider 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. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. For example, staff told us the action they would take if they felt someone was being harmed or abused. Family members told us they felt their relative was safe. A relative said, “I know I could go out for the day and the staff would take great care of [relative].”

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. For example, people or the family they lived with were involved in risk assessments. One person wanted staff to ensure their water was the correct temperature, due to them being sensitive, this was clearly recorded in the person’s care plans.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. People lived in their own properties, mostly with 24 hour nursing care. The provider risk assessed properties and had conversations with people to ensure any risks were managed and explored. For example, dedicated space for staff to sit and support the person, while ensuring they were safe, and the person felt part of their family.

The provider 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. Staff said they felt skilled. The training matrix was well detailed. Records confirmed staff received regular training, including to support people with complex health needs self-assessment for nurses around their own competence with some nursing tasks, and a detailed shadow and competency booklet for level 3 care staff. The clinical lead manager for Yorkshire Community Healthcare explained to us in depth, how they ensured staff were competent before providing any hands on care. Staff said they felt supported and were positive about the training, however said they would like additional opportunities for training and professional development. One relative said the staff they had were excellent. We raised this feedback with the provider at the time of our assessment, who assured us they would revisit training with all staff.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. For example, some complex packages required a high level of infection control processes to be in place. We spoke to 1 family member who told us “The staff understand the need for excellent hygiene and PPE around [relative]. We have never had any issues around this.”

The service made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. They involved people in planning, including when changes happened. Staff had undertaken medication training, which was spot checked and audited every month in the community.