We carried out a review of the data available to us about St Anthony's on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about St Anthony's, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
¿ Staff were wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) correctly. Social distancing was observed between people who were sitting in communal areas.
¿ The home was closed to visitors and access into the home for health or social care professionals was managed safely. People were encouraged to maintain contact with their family through video calls.
¿ The provider ensured there were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs safely.
¿ The provider had developed policies, procedures and risk assessments for managing the service in relation to COVID-19.
¿ When people moved into the home or returned from hospital, they were required to isolate in their rooms, for a set period of time, even if they had a negative test. This keep people safe in the event that the person developed symptoms within the initial period of the person moving in.
¿ Testing for staff and people was well organised and regularly done.
St Anthony's is a residential care home located in Watford. It is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 22 people. At the time of the inspection 20 people were living at St Anthony’s.
There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were supported to take their medicines by trained staff. We found that staff followed safe practices and medicines were accurately documented and stock levels checked were correct.
We found that the environment had improved with several areas of the home having been re-decorated since the last inspection took place.
People felt safe living at St Anthony’s. Staff understood how to keep people safe and risks to people's safety and well-being were identified and managed. The home was calm and people's needs were met in a timely manner by sufficient numbers of skilled and experienced staff. The provider operated robust recruitment processes which helped to ensure that staff employed to provide care and support for people were fit to do so.
Staff received regular one to one supervision and felt supported and valued. People received the support they needed to eat and drink sufficient quantities and their health needs were catered for with appropriate referrals made to external health professionals when needed.
People and their relatives complimented the staff team for being kind and caring. Staffs were knowledgeable about individuals' care and support needs and preferences and people had been involved in the planning of their care where they were able. Visitors to the home were encouraged at any time of the day.
The registered manager had arrangements in place to receive feedback from people who used the service, their relatives, external stakeholders and staff members about the services provided. People were confident to raise any concerns with staff or management and were satisfied that they would be listened to.
There was an open and respectful culture in the home and relatives and staff were comfortable to speak with the registered manager if they had a concern. The registered manager had arrangements to regularly monitor health and safety and the quality of the care and support provided for people who used the service.
There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People were supported to take their medicines by trained staff. However we found that staff did not always follow safe practices and medicine were not always documented correctly and stock levels were not correct.
We found that the environment was not always safe. There were cables on the floor by people`s beds, holes in the carpets and no handrails to support people to access the garden safely. There was no action plan to address these and appropriate steps were not always taken to reduce potential risks and drive improvement.
Relatives and staff were complimentary about the registered manager and how the home was operated. Staff received training and refresher updates relevant to their roles and had regular supervision meetings to discuss and review their development and performance.
People told us they felt safe, happy and well looked after by staff working at the home. Staff had received training in how to safeguard people from abuse and knew how to report concerns, both internally and externally. Safe and effective recruitment practices were followed to ensure that all staff were suitably qualified and experienced for their roles. Arrangements were in place to ensure there were sufficient numbers of suitable staff available at all times to meet people’s individual needs.
People were supported to maintain good health and had access to health and social care professionals when necessary. They were provided with a healthy balanced diet that met their individual needs.
Staff obtained people’s consent before providing personal care and support. Care was provided in a way that promoted people’s dignity and respected their privacy. People received personalised care and support that met their needs and took account of their preferences. Staff was knowledgeable about people’s background histories, preferences, routines and personal circumstances.
People were involved in the planning, delivery and reviews of the care and support they received. The confidentiality of information held about their medical and personal histories was securely maintained throughout the home.
People were supported with activities at the home; however the provider was still seeking to employ an activities person to improve the quality of the activities provided?. Complaints were recorded and investigated thoroughly with learning outcomes used to make improvements where necessary.
When we spoke with staff we were told that since receiving further training as a result of our inspection they had a better understanding of infection control and now worked as a team to prevent and control the spread of infection and to keep the home clean.
People we spoke with told us that the home was always kept clean and that their rooms were cleaned daily. People who used the service said that they had 'a good laugh' with the staff and that the staff were 'caring' and always had 'time to talk'.
We did however find some issues with the infection control standards in the laundry area of the home which we raised with the provider during our visit.
We noted that when we spoke with relatives and friends who visited the house that they always felt they were welcome. We saw a confident team of staff who were trained and experienced. We saw that the contact with health and welfare staff in the community is well established with frequent visits from different professions.
People who told us about their experience of living at St Anthony's or visiting their relatives, told us ' you couldn't ask for better'. They said the staff were all 'very good', 'very helpful', 'kind', friendly, cheerful and 'caring'. One person describing the staff told us 'nothing was too much trouble'.
People told us that they were being supported by a consistent team of permanent staff who they knew and were aware of their needs. Relatives confirmed that they were kept up to date with any changes and involved in meetings to review people's individual care needs.
People visiting St Anthony's told us they were always made to feel welcome and offered a cup of tea what ever time they called.
People told us they enjoyed their meals and the cook visited them to discuss the menu choices and offer alternative options to suite their individual preferences.
People told us that their rooms were comfortable and the house was always clean. One person commented that people could be encouraged to move around more as the seating arrangements in the main lounge limited people's mobility.