Poplars Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice:

The service had created a clear step by step pictorial visitors procedure for peoples' relatives to follow on arrival to the home.

The provider had purchased a large standing video screen to facilitate face to face calls linked to a video calling application.

Spot checks were carried out on staff to ensure they were complying with the requirements around wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

When there were shortfalls in expected behaviour such as a lack of social distancing, we saw evidence of appropriate action taken by the managers.

One staff member was a PPE champion whilst another staff member was a handwashing champion, facilitating workshops and refresher training fortnightly. Handwashing group supervisions and handwashing audits were carried out.

An unused cupboard was converted into a handwashing station for both people who used the service and staff to use and consisted of knee controls to activate the taps. The handwashing station also consisted of an infrared sensor which notified them when they had washed their hands for 20 seconds.

The service set up mental health first aiders so people and staff could have supportive conversations about any concerns they may have. During the autumn, the service ran an ‘anxiety café’ facilitated by staff who had basic counselling skills training, for people who were missing their families.

The service also set up ‘armchair trips’ to different parts of the world, replicating actual flights and aircraft sound, showing documentaries of the country as ‘inflight entertainment’ to support people’s wellbeing. Once there, people would visit the café to taste traditional food of the country and the room was decorated to reflect the culture of the country they were visiting.

The service also used an integrated colour indicator cleaning product, which told the user when the solution was ready for use and when it had lost its efficacy.

The service was nominated for The Great British Care Awards 2020 for their creativity and innovation in promoting emotional wellbeing and physical safety during the pandemic.

Poplars Care Home is a residential care home for 27 older people with a range of needs, including living with dementia. The home is managed by a home manager.

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

People told us they liked living in the home and they felt safe. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the provider's safeguarding and whistleblowing policy. Medicines were safely managed.

The home manager conducted regular health and safety checks of the building. Staff worked effectively within their infection control policy.

The home was clean, bright and very welcoming. People’s rooms had been decorated to their individual choices and preferences. Before people moved into the home management conducted a detailed assessment to ensure the home could meet people’s needs. People were supported to eat healthy food. Staff supported people to attend their health appointments.

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.

We saw some caring interactions between staff and people living in the home. People told us the staff were caring and kind. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. People were supported to be as independent as possible. The home had an activities worker who organised activities during the day.

People's care was planned around their specific and individual needs and care plans were regularly reviewed and updated. Staff worked with specialist nurses to support people at the end of their life. Relatives told us they knew how to complain.

The home manager completed regular checks and audits on the quality of the service and acted if they observed any shortfalls. There was an open and transparent culture within the service, people were asked their views about the service and these were acted on.

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 (02 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

Rating at this inspection

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

The Poplars Care Home continues to support people safely and appropriately.

People, relatives and professionals gave us positive feedback on the service and the care that was provided to people using the service.

We also observed caring and professional interactions between staff and people using the service. Staff were attentive and made sure people were comfortable and safe.

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 received training on safeguarding adults and knew what action to take if they suspected a person was at risk of harm.

People were supported in a caring way and their care was tailored to meet their individual needs and interests.

People were supported to maintain relationships with their family and friends. This included seeing them and using technology, with the support from staff, to email family members to keep in regular contact.

Improvements had been made to the environment and rooms were brighter and offered people the chance to reminisce about the past. The environment, including the garden, was welcoming and gave people the chance to spend time in different areas of the service.

Systems were in place to ensure people safely received their medicines when required.

There were sufficient numbers of staff working in the service and this was reviewed on a regular basis.

Recruitment procedures were in place to ensure checks were carried out on new staff before they worked with the people using the service.

Training and support was available for all staff members to help them gain the skills to support people with various needs and they received information on current good practice.

People’s needs and presenting risks were assessed and reviewed to ensure staff understood and knew people’s current needs and abilities.

People were involved in their care and were asked for their views on a range of subjects, including the meal provision and activities.

People were happy with the meal provision and we saw they were offered plenty of drinks throughout the inspection to ensure they were hydrated.

There were various activities on offer for people each day. This included group and one to one sessions. Trips out in the community were also arranged.

Some people were able to make a complaint if they were unhappy and they also had the support of their family members who could also represent their views.

There were audits and checks in place to monitor the quality of service provision. These checked different aspects of the service to identify any problems and to see what was working well.

There was a registered manager in post and a deputy manager who was in the process of becoming the registered manager. The management team were experienced and were receptive to the inspection. They showed a passion for the support and care people received and the improvements they had made and wanted to make in the future.

The service continued to meet all relevant fundamental standards.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

People told us they were being well cared for. Several of those spoken with said “the staff are very good” and a visitor said “the staff are fantastic”. We observed staff interacting well with people, listening to what they had to say and providing them with the help and support they needed. People using the service were dressed to reflect individuality and looked well cared for.

People had mixed opinions about the meals. Some liked it while others said it was not always good. People confirmed that the food provision was discussed at meetings, but action did not always seem to be taken to address the issues they raised. We saw that people’s weights were monitored and action taken should a concern be identified.

Medicines were well managed and medicine records were accurate and up to date. Where people were able to self-medicate, this was encouraged and protocols were in place to manage this effectively and to maintain their independence.

Equipment in use in the home was in working order and servicing had been carried out at the required intervals.

Staff confirmed they undertook a variety of training to provide them with the knowledge and skills to care for people effectively.