The examples below provide insight into how other Good or Outstanding rated services are succeeding in this area of inspection.
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Safeguarding through learning and action
The registered manager and staff team showed great commitment to ensuring people were safe and any concerns raised were fully reviewed. Safeguarding concerns were investigated to the highest standard in a systematic and detailed manner, ensuring every single part of the allegation was responded to in detail.
As part of their exceptional approach to safeguarding the registered manager was not afraid to report concerns to the police to ensure thoroughness and that nothing was missed. In addition to reviewing safeguarding concerns, the registered manager ensured systems and processes relating to any concerns were fully reviewed with staff to ensure potential lessons were learnt.
The registered manager had logs and records that showed appropriate action had been taken where necessary. The management team have fully embedded a culture of safeguarding people through learning. There were many case studies that demonstrated the teams go above and beyond to assess, review and improve outcomes for people. This was not just limited to care needs but also included case studies on staff induction, communication and dining.
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Care provider: Manor Lodge
Date published: September 2024
Experienced leaders
Leaders were experienced in investigating safeguarding incidents and taking action to help ensure people were protected from abuse. A range of initiatives were in place, alongside appropriate training, to help ensure an open and transparent culture where people and staff could feel confident to raise any concerns.
Leaders promoted people’s consent and choices in their care and understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) but had not needed to complete any mental capacity assessments themselves to inform people’s care plans. Staff had been trained and understood how to identify indicators of potential abuse and what actions to take to help promote people’s safety. Staff consistently felt their managers would take the right actions to safeguard people if they went to them with any concerns. Staff promoted people’s decision making and provided them with choices over their care.
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Care provider: Just a Little Company
Date published: July 2024
Safeguarding training with documented referrals
Staff had received training in safeguarding and there was an up-to-date safeguarding policy in place. The organisation had followed safeguarding procedures and made referrals to the local authority as well as notifying the Care Quality Commission when required. Records showed referrals, investigation details and outcomes with action plans where required.
In care homes, and some hospitals, this is usually through MCA application procedures called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) We found the service was working within the principles of the MCA and if needed, appropriate legal authorisations were in place to deprive a person of their liberty. The documentation supported that each DoLS application was decision specific for that person. For example, regarding restrictive practices such as locked doors, sensor mats and bed rails. We saw that the conditions of the DoLS had been met.
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Care provider: Arlington House
Date published: June 2024
Independent whistleblowing helpline
The provider had introduced a dedicated separate whistle blowing line with an independent company with a 24-hour phone line, to encourage staff, visitors and people to come forward with any concerns. Posters had been displayed in offices and in newsletters and correspondence about this.
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Care provider: Avenues South East
Date published: November 2022
Safeguarding panel role supporting Shared Lives service
In a Shared Lives service, an additional layer of scrutiny ensured people were kept safe. Safeguarding panels reviewed any concerns about potential placements so that placements could be rigorously scrutinised and considered before a placement proceeded. This review further protected people by not exposing them to any undue harm.
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Care provider: Shared Lives Scheme - Coventry City Council
Date published: April 2020
Outstanding approaches to safeguarding
People were protected by staff who knew how to recognise signs of possible abuse. The provider had also completed their 'Safeguarding Adults' training within their Masters at Surrey University and was a good role model for staff.
Staff knew who to contact externally should they feel their concerns hadn’t been dealt with appropriately by the service. The Provider Information Record (PIR) showed the service had made appropriate referrals to the local safeguarding team to investigate, including an issue with family interaction.
Safeguarding issues were discussed regularly within meetings to ensure everyone understood the different forms of harm and abuse. As staff knew people so well, they felt well equipped to know when people weren’t their usual selves. There were very few incidents between people living at the home because staff knew their needs and personalities well.
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Care provider: Wisteria House Dementia Care Ltd
Date published: January 2019
Provider specific safeguarding training
The service developed their own learning materials that included films where management acted out various safeguarding scenarios.
This saw the leadership team portraying roles such as people needing care and support, as well as staff and visitors, and had showed potential abusive situations for staff to recognise and discuss.
The films helped staff learn how to recognise potential abuse and report it in an informal and non-threatening atmosphere.
Care provider: Anonymous
Date published: April 2018
Supporting your adult safeguarding team
The registered manager volunteered to be a representative for local providers on the local authority ‘safeguarding adults board’. This board meets quarterly and aims to gather the local provider’s ‘voice’ while considering the ‘making safeguarding personal’ policy.
Being part of the board enabled the registered manager to forge new relationships with partners they wouldn’t normally have had the opportunity to meet.
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Care provider: Grove Residential Care, Walthamstow
Date published: April 2018
Safeguarding champions
The programme focused on using person-centred approaches and tools to support meaningful, positive conversations with people and ‘seeing people as experts in their own lives’.
Champions attended a one-day person-centred thinking awareness session to ensure they have the knowledge and tools to carry out the role. They worked together to share best practice and provide a trusted point of contact for families to express concerns (in addition to the service’s manager).
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Care provider: West Sussex County Council
Date published: April 2018
Working with your local authority
Our local authority adult safeguarding teams receive our incident log on a monthly basis. This clearly outlines details of the incident, action taken, lessons learnt and how it’s cascaded to the team.
The local authority will continue to support, if necessary, by visiting the setting, discussing how things could be done differently and providing examples of how other settings have dealt with similar situations.
We attend safeguarding team forums where incidents and examples are shared, and group discussions take place on lessons learnt. Speakers from all areas of expertise attend and give a presentation on their professional area so that we can implement these processes in our setting to further enhance or improve the service.
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Care provider: Simply Care (UK) Ltd
Date published: April 2018
Challenging poor practice
We take a values-based recruitment approach. We not only encourage; we expect staff to be aware of what bad practice looks like and also have the confidence and ability to challenge this without fear of any repercussions. If something looks or feels wrong, then challenge it regardless of who’s doing this.
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Care provider: Thistle Hill Hall (Debdale Specialist Care Ltd)
Date published: April 2018