SCC Agency Ltd (trading as South Coast Care)

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 good. At this assessment the rating has remained good.

This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 69 (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.

Staff were confident in the care they provided. Staff told us they had clear policies to follow in the event of an accident and the senior team provided support during incidents. A staff member said, “I had to call paramedics and a person’s family, I called the on-call team (from the service) and stayed with the person for two hours until the paramedics arrived.” Incidents and accidents were recorded on the electronic care system so staff were aware of what had happened and what needed to change in future.

Staff were well trained when they first started work with the service, and training continued throughout their time there. Staff told us they felt confident to support people as they always had knowledge of the care needed. A staff member said, “We can ask for extra help if there is any extra training needed or if we don’t understand something.”

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.

The service used an electronic care system to record people’s support needs. This could be used to share the care plan with other healthcare professionals as required. The manager told us, “If staff call, for example when an ambulance arrived, staff in the office could read off the information or it can be downloaded and easily sent, either printed or email.”

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.

Safeguarding concerns were raised with the local authority by the manager when required. People told us they felt safe and well cared for and knew who to speak to if they had a concern. A person’s relative said, “I usually call the office. I haven’t really had a problem; I call for advice.”

The newly appointed manager was in the process of registering with CQC and was continuing their training in care management. We discussed safeguarding and their understanding, some safeguarding concerns had not been reported to CQC at the time they were raised and the manager said they would learn from this and ensure all safeguardings were notified to CQC as soon as they were raised in future.

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.

People and their families were involved in the care plans and the management of risk. Staff were well trained to ensure they understood how to provide safe care. A person’s relative told us they felt, “Very safe, they just know what I’m like. In the shower they are there beside me.”

A staff member said, “There are risk assessments in the care plan (on the app) so we are safe and know how to keep people safe. We can call anything in to the office.”

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

The risks in people’s homes were documented and staff had access to an electronic system that informed them of any risks and how to manage them. People and their families felt safe with staff because staff were trained and able to manage environmental risks such as those associated with equipment in the home. A relative told us, “[My relative] feels confident with them. They said they had to do a handling plan before they use the hoist, they had to have two people, it’s been alright.”

The provider told us, “There is a package of care we set up with an assessment, it covers all common risks in a home.”

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.

The manager and senior team were in the process of auditing the staff employment files. Staff had all necessary checks for safety, but documentation was not stored in an easily accessible manner. The provider told us all files would be up to date soon. The provider was unable to locate one staff members CV, some interview notes were missing, and external references for another staff member were not available .

Staff were enthusiastic about the training they received and how supported they were by the office staff. People also told us how professional and effective the staff were. A person said, “I’m very confident. They are all very able.” Staff told us, “I have no concerns at all about the service, if I need more time for calls the office will extend the time.”

A person told us, “I get a rota for the week ahead. It is adhered to quite well. I usually know what time or thereabouts, it doesn’t matter who as I know all the carers. They always do stay [the full time], they clock in and out. We get the same ones. I know them all they are all lovely, like extended family.”

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.

Staff understood the importance of maintaining good hygiene to prevent the spread and risk of infection. People told us staff were clean and tidy and managed care well, when asked about hygiene a relative said, “They are very good with that. [My relative] had shingles, they dealt with that very well. They do well, I would be reluctant to lose them.” A person told us, “They always wear gloves and have their overalls on. If they have had a cold or something they wear masks.”

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 were trained in medicines management and administration via both online and face to face training. The office had posters demonstrating various types of medicines boxes and blister packs and staff were reminded which ones were acceptable for use. A staff member said, “The training is online, but if you want more you can have extra in the office, look at the blister packs etc.”

Some people managed their own medicines, but one person said, “They do my pills. I have a blister pack; they give them to me in an egg cup and I take them. They document it, there is a record here.”

The provider told us, “We know the times people need their medicines. We prioritise medicines calls, there is a ‘Red, Amber, Green’ system on the electronic rota. We are aware of the importance of gaps, so there are checks in the system to avoid call times being moved. Carers know when it's a medicines administration call and they know to tell us if there is going to be a late call.”