Battlefield Healthcare Ltd was rated Good overall at its June 2016 inspection, with care found to be safe, caring, responsive and well-led, but Requires Improvement for effective due to staff lacking clarity on Mental Capacity Act responsibilities and capacity recording. Additional concerns included gaps in medicines administration records and failure to submit statutory safeguarding notifications to CQC.
Concerns (4)
moderate
Consent / capacity
: “Staff were not entirely confident about their responsibilities when they supported people who could not make their own decisions about their day to day care.”
moderateRecord keeping: “We found one person's medicine records had gaps in the administration of their medicine and incorrect information about one of their medicines.”
moderateGovernance: “They had failed to notify us of these concerns. The registered manager acknowledged they had not done this.”
minorMedication management: “These audits did not always pick up issues. We found one person's medicine records had gaps in the administration of their medicine.”
Strengths
· People felt safe with staff who understood risks and knew how to report safeguarding concerns
· Sufficient staffing levels with people informed in advance of which staff would attend and if staff were running late
· Staff received training specific to individuals they supported, including specialist communication methods such as Makaton
· People were treated with dignity and respect and supported to maintain independence
· Care was personalised and responsive to changing needs, with effective multi-agency working
Battlefield Healthcare Ltd received a Good rating across all five key questions at this April 2019 inspection, with 50 people receiving personal care at home. Notable improvements since the previous inspection included full Mental Capacity Act compliance, and the service demonstrated strong person-centred care, consistent staffing, effective governance, and compassionate leadership.
Strengths
· People and relatives were consistently positive about care quality, describing staff as 'like friends' and the service as 'the best ever'.
· Safe medicines administration with trained, competent staff and accurate records maintained.
· Consistent staffing teams assigned to individuals, with punctual and reliable visit delivery.
· Improvements made since previous inspection in Mental Capacity Act compliance and staff understanding of consent.
· Effective governance including audits, satisfaction surveys, competency monitoring, and continuous learning culture.