# Safe Choice Care

*Operated by Safe Choice Care Ltd.*

Safe Choice Care is a CQC-regulated home-care agency in Deal.

## CQC Ratings

| Key question | Rating |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | Requires improvement |
| Safe | Requires improvement |
| Effective | Good |
| Caring | Good |
| Responsive | Good |
| Well-led | Requires improvement |

Rating published: 14/09/2022

## Practical info

- Postcode: CT14 7EE
- Registered manager: Barr, Helena
- Local authority: Kent
- Region: South East
- City: Deal
- Last CQC check: 14/Sep/2022 - 00:00

## Inspection findings

### caring

- Finding
  - Respecting and promoting people's privacy, dignity and independence
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Supporting people to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their care
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Ensuring people are well treated and supported; respecting equality and diversity
  - Published: 2019-06-21

### effective

- Finding
  - Ensuring consent to care and treatment in line with law and guidance
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Staff working with other agencies to provide consistent, effective, timely care
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Supporting people to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Staff support: induction, training, skills and experience
  - Published: 2019-06-21

### Other

- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff worked closely with healthcare professionals and made timely referrals when people's needs changed.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- Finding
  - Evidence: The registered manager participated in a local registered managers forum and utilised Skills for Care resources to share best practice.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- Finding
  - Evidence: Medicines errors were investigated, staff retrained and competency assessed; electronic monitoring alerts flagged missed doses promptly.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff felt valued and supported by the management team, with supervision, staff meetings and spot checks in place.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- Finding
  - Evidence: Accidents and incidents were recorded, monitored and analysed to prevent recurrence and prompt referrals to healthcare professionals.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- Finding
  - Evidence: Safeguarding processes were in place; staff understood how to identify and report abuse and the registered manager liaised with the local authority safeguarding team.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- Finding
  - Evidence: Staff demonstrated good knowledge of the people they supported, including safe moving and handling practices.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- Finding
  - Evidence: People and relatives generally spoke positively about the quality of care received, describing staff as kind and supportive.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- **staff_competency** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Staff competency, to ensure they were safe moving people, had not been completed.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- **infection_control** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: The service had received a complaint regarding a person being given food, and on another occasion medication, whilst sat on a commode. This action was neither hygienic, nor dignified.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- **medication_management** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: Some people needed medicines on an 'as and when' (PRN) basis...These had not consistently been completed. This was an area for improvement.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- **record_keeping** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: Full employment histories had not been consistently obtained. Some application forms noted only years of employment and not months.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- **care_planning** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: Some people used bed rails to reduce the risk of falling out of bed. There were no risk assessments to guide staff on their safe use, for example to reduce the potential risk of entrapment.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- **governance** _(critical)_
  - Evidence: The provider failed to improve the quality and safety of the service. This was a continued breach of Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014.
  - Published: 2022-10-06
- **staffing_levels** _(moderate)_
  - Evidence: There were several entries in staff care calls when there was no travel time assigned. Time had not been allocated for staff to change their personal protective equipment and go to the next call.
  - Published: 2022-10-06

### responsive

- Finding
  - End of life care and support
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Improving care quality in response to complaints or concerns
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Planning personalised care to meet people's needs, preferences, interests and give them choice and control
  - Published: 2019-06-21

### well_led

- Finding
  - Working in partnership with others
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Engaging and involving people using the service, the public and staff
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Planning and promoting person-centred, high-quality care and support with openness
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Continuous learning and improving care
  - Published: 2019-06-21
- Finding
  - Managers and staff being clear about their roles, and understanding quality performance, risks and regulatory requirements
  - Published: 2019-06-21

## Source

Data published by the [Care Quality Commission](https://www.cqc.org.uk/) under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Canonical page: https://homecarecompass.co.uk/agency/1-5152138470

HomeCare Compass is an independent guide and is not affiliated with the CQC.