Helping Hands Harrow

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 were safeguarded from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm. Risks about people’s safety were assessed to ensure they were supported to remain as safe as possible. There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and cover their agreed hours of support. Recruitment processes ensured that care staff assessed as safe to work with people were employed.

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.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

Staff were clear about their responsibilities to report concerns and were able to describe the action they would take if they witnessed or suspected any abusive or neglectful practice. Management were aware of their responsibilities on how to protect people from abuse and actions they would take where there was an allegation of abuse.

People told us they felt safe in the presence of care staff. This was confirmed by family members we spoke with. People and family members spoke positively about staff. A family member said, “We are more than impressed with the quality of the carers, they are excellent at what they do. We have 4-5 different carers and we cannot thank them enough.” Another family member told us, “The carers look after [person] well, they are kind and caring, we have no concerns, we are happy with the care provided.”

Appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures were in place. These provided guidance about the action to take if staff had concerns about the welfare of people. Training records showed staff had completed safeguarding training and staff were confident about raising concerns. There was a system in place for recording and monitoring safeguarding concerns which helped management have a clear oversight over this.

Staff were aware of people’s individual health needs and helped ensure they were safe when carrying out any tasks. Staff were encouraged to report risks so that appropriate action could be taken to ensure the safety of people. Staff we spoke with told us they wouldn’t hesitate to raise concerns with management and were confident that these would be listened to and appropriate action taken. A care staff said, “[Office staff and management] are always available to speak to us. They really do listen to us. They always listen and take action immediately. They take feedback on board.”

Potential risks about people’s safety were assessed to ensure they were supported to remain as safe as possible. They provided staff with guidance on how to support people safely. Staff received training in key areas of potential risk such as moving and handling, basic first, health and safety and fire safety. There was a system in place to report, record and monitor incidents and accidents to help ensure people were supported safely.

People and their family members were involved in the delivery of care and support. Risks to people were identified and managed to help keep people safe. These were person centred and included information about how to minimise the associated risks.

We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

Staff told us there were sufficient staffing numbers and they were able to safely meet people’s needs with current staffing levels. Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the registered manager and said that they received supervisions. Staff told us they worked well as a team. A care staff told us, “We work well as a team and support one another.” Another care staff said, “They support me in my role and I can contact them anytime and know that they will respond. Communication is always good here.”

People were supported by staff who had the knowledge and skills required to meet their needs. Records showed that staff had received training in various key areas relevant to their roles. There was a system in place which enabled the registered manager to monitor training and ensure that staff continuously updated this where necessary. Staff received supervision sessions which provided opportunities to discuss their performance and professional development. Pre-employment checks had been carried out to help ensure staff were suitable to support people safely. An electronic homecare monitoring system was in place. This monitored care staffs’ timekeeping and punctuality which would flag up if care staff had not logged a call to indicate they had arrived at the person's home. This helped ensure people received their visits on time.

People spoke positively about the staff who cared for them. A family member told us, “They respect [person] as an individual, give them dignity by providing male carers. It is a hard job to be a carer. I have absolute respect for the beautiful care they provide, I am beholding and grateful to them”. Another family member said, “They [carers] are very nice, they assist me which gives me a break from my caring role.” The majority of people and family members told us they were supported by a staff team which included regular consistent staff and this helped to ensure people received continuity of care. Feedback indicated that there were no issues with punctuality and attendance.

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.