“The Service did not always provide mandatory training in key skills to all staff” CQC
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EMA have an e-learning package with National Skills Academy which covers the courses recommended in line with the care certificate. Where all our staff have come from the Health and Social Care Sector and have demonstrated up to date training, we have set a 6 month period where staff had to complete their e-learning. All members of staff work under supervision on the ambulance with experienced members of staff.
All existing staff are now working through completing all their e-learning and all staff will be up to date with training by the end of July. All new staff will be required to complete their e-learning prior to commencing their patient facing role.
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Our current system for managing training is a spreadsheet where each member of staff has a worksheet within that spreadsheet listing their courses and completed courses are recorded with expiry dates. Expiry of these courses are then diarised for management and admin staff. These records are printed during staff supervisions to discuss training needs and action plans. Prior to our inspection, we had already come to the conclusion we needed a more sophisticated system to manage training records and had a training matrix template which we were able to evidence to CQC but it had not yet been implemented.
We have the template training matrix that needs to have its data inputted into however, since our inspection, we have been looking into online case management systems to manage training records. By the end of July, the training matrix will be completed and in place along with our online training case management system(Redcrier).
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We have always had MCA & DoLs face to face training and all but the new staff who have not yet been here for 6 months had received that training. We were in conversations with local Mental Health Professionals who are also Best Interest Assessors to come and run an in house session for staff which is more tailored to what we need as opposed to a generic e-learning package. This was placed on hold due to COVID and the imminent change in legislation which will directly affect transport (albeit now further pushed back).
An MCA & DoLs e-learning package was immediately purchased the day following our inspection and staff are working towards completing this course. All staff will have completed this by the end of July.
“Staff understood how to protect patients from abuse and the service worked well with other agencies to do so. However, not all staff were up to date with their adult safeguarding and child protection training”. CQC
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EMA use to run and internal safeguarding session lead by our Level 4 Safeguarding Lead and which was an accredited CPD course in line with the intercollegiate guidance. Evidence of this course was provided to the CQC. We reviewed our mandatory training approx. 3-4 weeks prior to our inspection when the training matrix was being development and removed the internally run CPD course and updated our training records to reflect this. This led to the records looking as if staff hadn’t completed any safeguarding training however had and certificates were provided to CQC to evidence this.
All staff regardless of whether they have previously completed the internal CPD Safeguarding course are required to complete the e-learning levels 3 in adults and children by the end of July.
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We regularly have conversation with staff regarding safeguarding and recognising and reporting abuse and use staff meetings and supervisions to have this regular contact.
No action required.
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There was one member of staff who had a gap in their employment which was discussed during their interview so we were aware that this had been as a result of travelling. This wasn’t however documented in a formal attendance note. However, following Safer Recruitment practices and to ensure staff are of good character, EMA prior to any member of staff working on an EMA ambulance, obtain; a new Enhanced Adult and Children DSB is obtained (unless new staff are on the update system) and two references. All new staff work under supervision of existing experienced staff for their probation period and never lone work.
A formal attendance note has been added to that employee’s personal file documenting the reasons for the gap in employment and a question has been added to the interview pack to prompt discussion around gaps in employment.
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No action
“The service controlled infection risk well. Staff used equipment and control measures to protect patients, themselves and others from infection. They key equipment, vehicles and the premises visibly clean.” CQC
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No action
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The Covid 19 policy did not have an implementation date however the policy states review date is every 2 weeks. For some time, even with restrictions easing, we have not amended this policy and still undertake use of full PPE, social distancing and testing however discussions around COVID restrictions and practices have been documented in meetings.
