Clifton Lodge

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 assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment the rating has changed to 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 registered manager had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. The registered manager investigated any safety concerns, including accidents, incidents and safeguarding. Staff reflected on learning from these and worked on embedding good practice to keep people safe.

The registered manager 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. Before people moved to the service the registered manager did an assessment of their needs to ensure they could be met by the service. As part of the transition to the service, people and their relatives were able to visit the service. One relative said, “I came to visit the service and discussed all the care needed, including likes and dislikes.” Once people were admitted the registered manager and their team continued to assess people to ensure all their needs were being met and that there was an appropriate care package in place.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. Staff 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 registered manager shared concerns quickly and appropriately. One person told us, “I love living here, I feel safe living here.” Staff had received training in how to safeguard people and knew how to raise concerns externally and internally to keep people safe. The provider had policies and systems in place to raise and investigate safeguarding concerns. The registered manager followed these policies and worked with the local authority to investigate safeguarding concerns to keep people safe.

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. The registered manager had implemented innovative initiatives to manage the risks of falls at the service and had been able to demonstrate a reduction in falls. The registered manager had focused their research on putting items, posters and pictures at eye level around the service to encourage people to improve their posture, they felt this had a direct impact on lowering falls at the service. People’s risks were assessed, and care plans were put in place to support staff to manage these risks in a person centred way.

The registered manager detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. The service was spacious and had a number of facilities to support people safely. There were spacious living areas and people had access to outside space. People had their own rooms and specialist equipment was provided as needed. The service had audible alarms to certain areas that when triggered made staff aware a person may be entering an area where they could require additional support. The audible alarm was quite intrusive to the ambience of the service and the registered manager was working with the provider to try and source an alternative safety measure.

The registered manager 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. There was a consistent care team at the service, which meant people were supported by staff who knew them well. People and relatives were very positive about the care they received from staff. We received comments such as, “The staff have been very good,” and “The staff are lovely.” A relative told us, “The care is fantastic and there is definitely enough staff.” Staff were employed after the appropriate recruitment checks had been made. Staff received an induction before they commenced work and were supported with on-going training and supervision.

The registered manager assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. Staff had received training in infection and prevention control and the provider had policies in place for staff to follow should there be any outbreaks of infectious diseases. The service had regular cleaning schedules in place and staff had personal protection equipment available for their use.

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened. Staff had systems in place to safely manage medicines including refreshing medicine training and competency checks. Audits were in place to check medicines were being managed safely and people received their medicines when they needed them.