Alphacare NW

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. At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this inspection the rating has remained 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. The incident and accident log was kept up to date with any actions taken as a result of an incident, such as some low level medicines errors. Where appropriate, staff had been supervised and re-trained to ensure better practices were embedded.

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. A relative described how the provider had been supportive around the decision to move their family member to a different care setting. They said, “They have been great. [Name] loves the staff, but we knew it was time to move.”

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. People we spoke with said they felt safe and would understand how to raise any issues or concerns. There was a safeguarding policy in place, and staff understood the correct course of action to take if people felt harmed or abused.

The provider 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. There were comprehensive risk assessments in place around people’s personal care, including their equipment and how to use it. A person had a specific process for hoisting them. We saw there was a step by step process in their risk assessment for staff to follow.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. There was an environmental risk assessment completed at the beginning of each care package. This took into account any factors, such as smoking. We raised with the provider the need to include flammable creams people used for topical application into people’s fire risk assessments to ensure safeguards could be discussed around this. We were assured this would be addressed.

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 told us they felt there was enough of them employed to be able to safely get to people’s call times, sometimes there were factors such as traffic which made this difficult. Everyone told us staff were well-trained. There was a training matrix in place and all mandatory subjects were well attended by 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. People told us staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) before providing personal care. A relative said, “They [staff] always make sure waste is disposed of correctly in the bin outside.”

The provider made sure medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. They involved people in planning, including when changes happened. Where the manager identified any medicines errors, learning was implemented as a result of these errors. There were ‘as required’ PRN protocols in place for people where needed.