This policy is based on the Food Standards Agency – Safer food better business, Care Quality Commission Fundamental Standards and Exceptional Care At Home Food Hygiene Controls and Procedures Risk Assessment.                                     

This policy provides relevant and practical interpretation in line with the principles of Exceptional Care At Home.  It does not replace the detailed information available from the Food Standards Agency, which is used as our benchmark and is available in each location.

Principles of the policy:

• It is important to remember that we have a duty of care to the vulnerable adults in our care and are required to follow the strict guidelines set by the relevant legislation.
• We do however, also have a responsibility to deliver care in as homely an environment as possible and this includes encompassing everyone, not just staff, in the planning, purchase, preparation and clearing away of food, with a limited use of signage and labelling.
• Unlike a standard business that supplies food to unknown members of the public with opening and closing times, we are domiciliary care providers whose focus is on person-centred principles.  As a result we interpret the legislation as far as is practicable without creating an institutional feel to the way we support our service users.
• As part of our commitment to a homely environment food safety and hygiene comes first.
• We will always take proper precautions in the handling, storage and disposal of food waste.

The purpose of this policy and procedure is to ensure that we as an agency promote and support compliance with regulations relating to Health and Safety, including:

• The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974;
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999;
• Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992;
• Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 (Amended 2002);
• Work at Height Regulations 2005;
• Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992;
• Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998;
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002;
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR);
• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER);
• Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER);
• Health and Safety First Aid Regulations 1991.

The policy is also designed to ensure that the Exceptional Care At Home, its employees and others experience a safe environment, and that statutory obligations are met.

We recognise that we have a responsibility to ensure that reasonable precautions are taken to provide and maintain working conditions which are safe, healthy and comply with all statutory requirements and codes of practice relating to the organisation’s particular activities.

We will, so far as is reasonably practicable, pay particular attention to:

• The provision and maintenance of plans and systems of work that are safe and healthy;
• Arrangements for ensuring safety and the reduction of risks to an acceptable level in connection with the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances;
• The provision of information, instruction, training and supervision such as to promote the health and safety at work of employees and others;
• The control of the place of work maintaining it in a safe condition;
• The provision of a safe means of access to and egress from the place of work.
• This policy will be reviewed at least annually.

Purpose: To maintain prevention and control of cross-infection.

Scope: All employee and others who enter the premises, such as agency workers, visitors and contractors.

Policy

• Exceptional Care At Home will arrange for the prevention of infection, toxic conditions or spread of infection in the community.
• All work spaces will be kept clean, hygienic and free from offensive odours throughout.
• All employees will be trained in effective hand washing.
• Infected materials and/or clinical waste will be kept in appropriate (yellow) bags and stored separately from foodstuffs and food preparation areas.
• Employees who report an infectious condition must not be allowed back on duty until medical clearance is given.
• Employees known to have an infectious condition will be reported to the relevant authorities if appropriate.
• A register must be maintained of all known causes of infection, from which likely causes of infection may be traced and/or identified.
• For outbreaks of infectious disease which, in the opinion of the medical practitioner involved, is sufficiently serious to warrant notification of the CQC, such notification will be carried out within 48 hours.
• Staff will wear barrier clothing when dealing with waste materials and when in close physical contact with the Service User.  The barrier clothing will be removed and disposed of before leaving the premises. New barrier clothing will always be used for each Service User.
• Staff will carefully wash their hands on entry to and exit from a Service User’s premises, following the detailed instructions given.

Purpose: To maintain prevention and control of cross-infection.

Scope: All employee and others who enter the premises, such as agency workers, visitors and contractors.

Policy

• Exceptional Care At Home will arrange for the prevention of infection, toxic conditions or spread of infection in the community.
• All work spaces will be kept clean, hygienic and free from offensive odours throughout.
• All employees will be trained in effective hand washing.
• Infected materials and/or clinical waste will be kept in appropriate (yellow) bags and stored separately from foodstuffs and food preparation areas.
• Employees who report an infectious condition must not be allowed back on duty until medical clearance is given.
• Employees known to have an infectious condition will be reported to the relevant authorities if appropriate.
• A register must be maintained of all known causes of infection, from which likely causes of infection may be traced and/or identified.
• For outbreaks of infectious disease which, in the opinion of the medical practitioner involved, is sufficiently serious to warrant notification of the CQC, such notification will be carried out within 48 hours.
• Staff will wear barrier clothing when dealing with waste materials and when in close physical contact with the Service User.  The barrier clothing will be removed and disposed of before leaving the premises. New barrier clothing will always be used for each Service User.
• Staff will carefully wash their hands on entry to and exit from a Service User’s premises, following the detailed instructions given.

Exceptional Care At Home has in place a Complaints, Suggestions and Compliments Policy and Procedure. This policy outlines the complaints, suggestions and compliments process used by Exceptional Care At Home Ltd to ensure continued improvement of the overall service.

• To ensure that Exceptional Care At Home Ltd has an effective system in place to manage complaints, suggestions and
• To ensure that Exceptional Care At Home Ltd complies with any legal requirements, regulations, guidelines and best
• To support Exceptional Care At Home Ltd in meeting the following Key Lines of Enquiry:

Care: How does the service support people to express their views and be actively involved in making decisions about their care, support and treatment as far as possible?

Responsiveness: How are people’s concerns and complaints listened and responded to and used to improve the quality of care?

Safety: How do systems, processes and practices keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse?

• To meet the legal requirements of the regulated activities that Exceptional Care At Home Ltd is registered to provide as per the;
• • Compensations Act 2006
  • The Care Act 2014
  • The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
  • Human Rights Act 1998
  • The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009
  • Mental Capacity Act 2005
  • Mental Capacity Act Code of Practice
  • Data Protection Act 2018

Objectives of the policy:

• To improve the quality of the Service User’s
• To ensure that all complaints and suggestions are promptly addressed, resolved and shared within the agreed timescales to ensure that lessons are learned and that the learning improves service quality and delivery.