At Innovate Care Group, keeping our clients safe is at the heart of everything we do. Strong hand hygiene and infection control practices are essential in reducing the spread of illness, particularly for individuals with complex health needs receiving care at home and in their local communities.
Why Infection Control Is So Important in Complex Care
Many individuals receiving complex care may be more vulnerable to infections due to underlying conditions or clinical interventions. Maintaining high standards of hygiene helps to:
- Reduce the risk of infection transmission
- Protect clients, their families, and our Care Professional colleagues
- Support continuity of safe, high-quality care at home
Hand Hygiene: The First Line of Defense
Effective handwashing is one of the simplest and most important ways to prevent the spread of infection.
In line with NHS guidance, hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, ensuring all areas are cleaned thoroughly:
- Palms and backs of hands
- Between fingers
- Fingertips and under nails
- Thumbs
- Wrists
The 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene – When Should You Wash Your Hands?
We also follow the “5 Moments of Hand Hygiene”, developed by the World Health Organization, to minimise the transmission of microorganisms between Care Professionals, clients, and the environment.
These moments are:
- Before touching a client
- Before clean or aseptic procedures
- After exposure to body fluids
- After touching a client
- After touching a client’s surroundings
Embedding these moments into daily practice helps ensure consistent and effective infection prevention.
At a minimum, handwashing should also always take place:
- Before preparing or handling food
- After using the toilet
- After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
- On arrival and before leaving a care setting
Alcohol-based hand sanitiser can be used when handwashing facilities are not available, but this should not replace washing hands regularly or when visibly dirty.
Our Approach to Quality and Compliance
At Innovate, we actively support high standards of hand hygiene through ongoing training and clinical oversight.
As part of this, our Clinical Leads carry out hand hygiene spot checks during home visits, observing care professionals washing their hands to ensure correct technique and adherence to best practice. This helps reinforce high standards and provides opportunities for guidance and support where needed.
Additional Infection Prevention Measures
Alongside hand hygiene, the following practices are key:
- Use of PPE – Always follow care plans and clinical guidance for protective equipment and clothing requirements
- Cleaning routines – Regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces and equipment
- Respiratory hygiene – Cover coughs and sneezes and dispose of tissues promptly
- Safe care delivery – Follow infection control protocols found in Innovate’s policies and Knowledge Documents
Monitoring for Signs of Illness
Early identification of symptoms helps prevent the spread of infection. Please remain vigilant for:
- Fever or high temperature
- Headache or fatigue
- Nausea or flu-like symptoms
What To Do If Symptoms Develop
- Seek urgent medical attention (call 999 or attend A&E) if symptoms are severe or worsening
- Care Professionals should not attend work if unwell to help prevent the spread of infection
- Notify your appropriate contact as soon as possible
Our Commitment to Safe Care
Following recent reports of infections in localised parts of the UK, we’d like to take this opportunity to reinforce the importance of good hygiene and infection control practices across all care settings.
At Innovate, we provide ongoing training, clinical oversight, and support to ensure the highest standards of infection prevention and control. By maintaining strong hygiene practices, we can continue to deliver safe, effective, and person-centred care, protecting our clients, our teams, and ourselves.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us and we will be happy to support you.
