Polebrook Nursing Home

Polebrook Nursing Home provides residential and nursing care for up to 52 older people with physical disabilities and dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 50 people using the service.

Accommodation is provided across three separate units all on the ground floor, in a purpose-built building. One area provided general nursing, one provided care and support for people living with dementia and memory loss and one area provided residential care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received safe care and were protected against avoidable harm, neglect, and discrimination. Risks to people’s safety were assessed and strategies were put in place to reduce any risks. There were sufficient numbers of staff who had been safely recruited to meet people’s needs.

Staff received training in relation to the safe administration of medicines and their competencies were checked to ensure safe practice. Infection control measures were robustly followed, and staff had access to sufficient PPE.

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

The service was well managed. People, relatives, and staff were very positive about the leadership of the service and praised the management team. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service; actions were taken, and improvements were made when required. Staff felt well supported and said the registered manager was open and approachable. The service worked in partnership with outside agencies.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 31 October 2018)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained Good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Polebrook Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Accommodation is provided across three separate adapted units. At the time of our inspection 41 people were living at the home.

We found the following examples of good practice.

COVID-19 testing for staff, people using the service and visitors followed current government COVID-19 guidance. The service met the requirement to ensure non-exempt staff and visiting professionals were vaccinated against COVID-19. Visitors were supported to follow infection prevention and control procedures during their visits.

COVID-19 outbreaks followed current guidance and advice from the healthcare protection team (HPT) to contain and manage outbreaks. This included, isolation and cohorting in response to outbreaks to manage the spread of infection. People were supported to isolate in their own rooms when necessary.

Staff received infection prevention and control (IPC) training and followed robust IPC procedures. This included wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) and washing and sanitising hands regularly. PPE stations were available throughout the service and there were sufficient stocks of PPE available.

The environment was clean and hygienic, staff followed cleaning schedules which included regular cleaning and disinfection of high touch points, such as door handles, light switches and handrails.

Polebrook Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Polebrook Nursing Home accommodates up to 52 older people in a purpose-built building divided into three areas, with all accommodation on the ground floor. One area provided general nursing, one provided care and support for people living with dementia and memory loss and one area provided residential care. At the time of our inspection there were 50 people living there.

The service 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.

People received care from staff that knew them and were kind, compassionate and respectful.

People’s needs were assessed prior to coming to the home and detailed person-centred care plans were in place and were kept under review. Risks to people had been identified and measures put in place to mitigate any risk.

There were appropriate recruitment processes in place and people felt safe in the home. Staff understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from any risk or harm and knew how to respond if they had any concerns.

There were sufficient staff to meet the needs of the people; staffing levels were kept under review. Staff were supported through regular supervisions and undertook training which helped them to understand the needs of the people they were supporting.

People were involved in decisions about the way in which their care and support was provided. Staff understood the need to undertake specific assessments where people lacked capacity to consent to their care and / or their day to day routines. People’s health care and nutritional needs were carefully considered and relevant health care professionals were appropriately involved in people’s care.

People were cared for by staff who were respectful of their dignity and who demonstrated an understanding of each person’s needs. This was evident in the way staff spoke to people and the activities they engaged in with individuals. Relatives spoke positively about the care their relative received and felt that they could approach management and staff to discuss any issues or concerns they had.

There were comprehensive systems in place to monitor the quality and standard of the home. Regular audits were undertaken and any shortfalls addressed.

The registered manager was approachable and people felt confident that any issues or concerns raised would be addressed and appropriate action taken.

The service strived to remain up to date with legislation and best practice and worked with outside agencies to continuously look at ways to improve the experience for people.