St James' Park Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

The staff were following up to date infection prevention and control guidance to help people to stay safe. The provider organisation kept staff up to date through a special app on their computer system and through regular bulletins. The registered manager and senior staff ensured staff understood why every measure was in place.

There were two infection control leads in the staff team. This enabled the housekeeping team and care staff to work effectively together to ensure infection prevention and control measures were followed.

The provider provided training to ensure staff knew how to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The provider had also ensured staff had access to training about their emotional response to the pandemic and counselling support.

Staff supported people to occupy themselves whilst maintaining their safety. Staff were providing additional one to one activities to people in their rooms and visited them frequently. People who preferred to spend their time in communal areas were supported to this whilst maintaining physical distancing.

Staff helped people to stay in touch with family and friends through phone and video calls. Visitors could also book appointments to visit people in a safe way.

The manager was communicating with people, staff and family members regularly to make sure everyone had an understanding of precautions being taken, and how to keep people safe.

The home had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

St James’ Park is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. St James' Park Care Home (known locally as St James' accommodates 31people in one adapted building. It is set in a rural location. At the time of our inspection there were 29 people in the home. The home provides accommodation over two floors, there are lifts to the first floor. Rooms have en suite facilities and can accommodate married couples. Communal facilities include specialist bathrooms, lounges, a dining room, quiet social areas and an accessible garden.

People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. One person told us, “Yes I do feel very safe and well cared for if I didn’t I would say”.

There were systems and processes in place to minimise risks to people. These included a robust recruitment process and making sure staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. There were adequate numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs in a timely manner.

People benefitted from a staffing structure which made sure all staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities. In the parts of the home which provided nursing care there was always a registered nurse on duty who was able to monitor people’s health needs and act in accordance with those needs.

People received effective care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. One person said, “The staff are very good, they know what they are doing.” Staff monitored people’s health and well-being and made sure they had access to other healthcare professionals according to their individual needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff understood how to recognise abuse and the actions needed if abuse was suspected. Interactions between people and staff was respectful and respected people’s individuality.

People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink where they needed assistance with this. Staff had training in food hygiene and infection control and understood their roles and responsibilities with regard to protecting people form the risks of infection.

People were supported by staff who were kind and caring. Where people found it difficult to express themselves or needed additional time to move, staff showed patience and understanding.

People were supported to access both planned and emergency health care when needed. Working relationships with other professional agencies meant that people were receiving positive experiences.

Care records contained detailed information about the person’s health and social care needs. Care plans reflected each person as an individual and their wishes in regard of their care and support.

People could be confident that at the end of their lives they would be cared for with kindness and compassion and their comfort would be maintained. The staff worked with other organisations to make sure high standards of care were provided and people received the support and treatment they wished for at the end of their lives.

A complaints procedure was in place and people and their families were aware of it and felt able to use it if needed. One person told us, “Yes I would complain if I was not happy, there is no reason here not to speak your mind”. Records showed where complaints had been made they had been investigated, and resolved in line with the providers complaints procedure.

Staff told us the registered manager and deputy manager had an open door policy and were always visible around the home.

The home was well led by an experienced registered manager and management team. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, seek people’s views and make on-going improvements.