Harrington Homecare Headquarters Also known as Harrington Homecare

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 newly registered 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 service 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. People and relatives we spoke with were confident that staff worked in people’s best interests and prioritised their safety.

The service worked with people and health and social care 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. Relatives told us the registered manager supported them to get the information they required when their family member was discharged from hospital to enable safe care and support to be provided.

The service 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 service shared concerns quickly and appropriately. A partner agency working with the service on a safety concern told us, “We had a very good professional relationship, and our collaboration was helpful in sourcing the right support for our client. The staff of Harrington Homecare took actions promptly and kept me informed about any new situation on this case.”

The service 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. People felt safe with staff. One person said, “I’ve had two lots of falls and they are understanding and keep me safe. They are really caring.” People’s care records contained detailed information about any risks to people’s safety and how to manage those risks.

The service detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment supported the delivery of safe care and ensured people’s homes were free from trips and other hazards, where possible. Staff told us they checked equipment to ensure it was in good working order before using it.

The service 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 and their relatives’ felt staff were experienced and knowledgeable. A relative told us, “[The registered manager] chooses nice people who are experienced and she supervises them well. The people they send are smart, experienced women.” There was a regular programme of training in place to ensure staff remained up to date with best practice and had the knowledge and skills to undertake their duties. Robust recruitment practices were in place to ensure suitable staff were employed.

The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. Relatives confirmed that staff adhered to infection control procedures. They said, “They always wear the gloves and tabards.”

The service made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff had received training in safe medicines administration and people were happy with the support provided with their medicines. One person said, “[The staff member] is very good as she orders my medication for me and manages this all for me. It’s wonderful. It’s very, very good. They come in these packages and it’s really easy to understand. It tells me what time to take them.” Medicines administration records showed people received their medicines as prescribed.