4 November 2020
During an inspection looking at part of the service
The provider had an outbreak of Corona virus within in the home. However, at the time of the inspection the outbreak had cleared, and we were assured the provider was keeping people safe. We found the following examples of good practice.
Staff had received training in infection control, including how to safely put on and take off personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, aprons and face coverings. One staff member told us, “I have PPE coming out of my ears, including sanitizer and disinfectant”. We saw staff throughout the day wearing appropriate PPE and refreshing their PPE when moving from room to room.
Due to the recent outbreak the provider had stopped all visitors to the home, to help contain the virus. However, staff told us they worked with relatives and people living in the home to make sure people had contact with their loved ones through use of technology, this included phone and video calls.
Once the outbreak had cleared, staff told us visitors entering the home had their temperatures recorded and were asked to wash their hands, wear masks and maintain social distancing. When staff came on shift they would record their temperatures, sanitise their hands and put on their PPE before entering the building.
The registered manager told us how difficult it was to isolate areas using a zoning system because of the complex needs of people living in the home. The registered manager told us, “Two people were tested negative and their rooms were in the same corridor, we put signs up saying safe zone, we also had another person who was able to self-isolate”. Adding, “We encouraged regular hand washing and implemented additional cleaning methods, staff supported people on a one to one basis, wiping areas they touched as they moved around the home”. The registered manager also told us, “We contracted an external cleaning company for a two-week period to do additional cleaning in the evenings”.
The registered manager had regular contact with Public Health England and the local commissioning team to monitor the outbreak. The registered manager showed us their action plan implemented to manage the outbreak and had confirmation on the day of the inspection that everyone had now tested negative.
The provider was not admitting people to the home currently as they had no vacancies. However, the registered manager ensured regular testing was carried out, weekly for staff and monthly for people living in the home. Staff we spoke with were confident and knowledgeable about how to protect people from the risk of infection and the environment was clean and well maintained.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.