Apollo Care Blackpool

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 our first inspection of this registered service. We have rated this key question 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. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. There was an incident and accident log in place. The provider had routinely scrutinised incidents and accidents to ensure any learning opportunities were communicated to staff. For example, we saw when a medication error had occurred, the staff member had been re-trained to ensure the risk of this re-occurring was minimised.

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. There was a system in place for working with the local authority teams to help support people back into their own homes after a stay in hospital. The provider had also liaised with families and social workers to safely transition someone back into their own home after a care home admission.

The provider 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 provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. Staff we spoke with explained the correct process to follow if they felt someone was being harmed or abused. Staff had been trained in safeguarding, and this was a regular topic during team meetings. All potential safeguarding concerns had been reported to the local authority safeguarding team.

The provider 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. Risk assessments were detailed and largely focused on promoting people to complete as many tasks for themselves as possible. Separate risk assessments were conducted regarding people’s health needs such as swallowing and mobilising around their home.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in people’s own homes. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. Before staff commenced support in people’s homes a full environmental risks assessment was conducted, with the person’s consent.

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. Everyone we spoke with said staff were highly skilled and motivated. Training was completed before staff started working with people, and bespoke face to face training took place each month to ensure staff were well supported around person centred care delivery and the organisations values. One staff member said, “We receive monthly training workshops and regularly have online training to complete.” Another staff member discussed how they felt exceptionally well skilled and trained because of the workshops and training ‘bundles’ offered by the provider every month. Senior staff at Apollo Care Blackpool spent time with people and their families before care and support commenced to ensure they were appropriately skill matched to the correct people. This ensured people were supported by staff who shared similar interests to them.

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. All staff were supplied with PPE. People told us staff wore PPE when providing personal care and then disposed of it safely after use.

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. They involved people in planning, including when changes happened. There was a robust and detailed approach to supporting people with their medicine. Medication records were audited each week for any errors, and changes to people’s medicine regime was recorded in their care plan at the first opportunity. People had process in place for the administration of PRN (this is medicine which is prescribed for use as and when required).