4ME&U LTD Also known as Devoncare

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. 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. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. Lessons learnt were shared with staff to prevent them from happening again. The number of incidents at the service had reduced over time because of learning.

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. Staff carried out regular reviews and kept important information about people up to date. Information was easily accessible to professionals who needed it.

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 provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. People told us they felt safe. Staff had completed safeguarding training. They knew how to protect people from harm and abuse and how to raise concerns.

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. One staff member commented, “Risk assessments are thorough, and I feel confident that the information provided allows me to manage risks appropriately.” Risk assessments were reviewed regularly and updated when people’s needs changed. Risk assessments were in place for areas such as moving and handling, personal care and falls.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

Environmental risks were assessed within people’s homes prior to care being delivered. When new equipment was introduced into people’s homes, staff completed training to ensure they could use this safely.

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.

People told us they were happy with the staff who visited them and knew them well. One person commented, “The staff are helpful, well trained and will adapt to my individual needs.”

Staff told us they had completed a wide range of training and felt confident in their role. One commented, “Devoncare take pride in ensuring their staff have been correctly trained to ensure they are confident and competent to offer the care and support they are providing to the individuals and their specific needs.”

The management team attended training with staff to keep their skills up-to-date and check staff’s understanding. An external professional who delivered face to face training said, “The staff are always kept updated with all necessary training. We have a great rapport with the office staff, they are always very professional, and we enjoy working with them. Staff are always polite and very attentive during training.”

The service had a safe staff recruitment system in place. Supervisions and spot checks were carried out to ensure staff were competent in their role.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection.

People told us staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves and aprons. Staff told us they had completed infection control training. The provider had a policy for infection control. PPE was available to staff in people’s homes, company cars, and in the office. The provider had undertaken spot checks on staff working in people’s homes to ensure staff were wearing the correct PPE.

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. People told us they were happy with the support they received with their medicines. Staff told us they had completed medicines training. The provider had a medicines management policy in place. Information relating to people’s medicines was contained in their care plans, and staff completed MAR sheets (medication administration records). There were protocols in place for medicines prescribed ‘PRN or as required’. We found staff had recorded the administration of medicines in the daily notes but not on the MAR sheet on several occasions. The service took immediate action to resolve this.