Archived: Polebrook Nursing Home

Polebrook Nursing Home is a large residential home with nursing, which is owned and managed by Birchester Medicare. It provides nursing care and support for up to 52 people. This includes people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 48 people using the service.

The service has 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The staff team were passionate about providing a service that placed people and their families at the centre of their care. Without exception, people and relatives praised the staff for their caring, compassionate and professional approach. Everyone we spoke with said that staff went over and beyond what was expected of them and they were like family. Staff ensured confidentiality was maintained and people’s privacy and dignity was promoted.

Staff were trained to protect people from potential abuse and harm. They knew how to recognise signs of abuse and how to use the whistleblowing procedure. Risk assessments were centred on the needs of the individual and any potential risks to people had been identified. We saw that risk management plans had been completed to enable them to live as safely and independently as possible. Robust recruitment checks took place in order to establish that staff were safe to work with people before they commenced employment. There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s care and support needs. Suitable arrangements were in place for the safe management of medicines and these were consistently followed to ensure people received their medicines safely.

Staff received good support and training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They were provided with ongoing training to update their skills and knowledge to support people with their care needs. . Staff sought people's consent to care and treatment which was in line with current legislation. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to ensure their dietary needs were met. Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments and liaised with their GP and other healthcare professionals as required.

People received care that was responsive to their needs and centred on them as individuals. Their needs were assessed and care plans gave clear guidance on how they were to be supported. Records showed that people and their relatives were involved in the assessment process and review of their care. A wide and varied range of activities was on offer for people to participate in if they wished. The service had an effective complaints procedure in place and we saw appropriate systems for responding to any complaints the service received. Staff were responsive to people’s worries, anxieties and concerns and acted promptly to resolve them.

Systems were in place which continuously assessed and monitored the quality of the service, including obtaining feedback from people who used the service and their relatives. Records showed that systems for recording and managing complaints, safeguarding concerns and incidents and accidents were managed well. The registered manager took steps to learn from such events and put measures in place which meant lessons were learnt and they were less likely to happen again.

Staff enjoyed working at the service and felt well supported in their roles. They told us the registered manager was an excellent role model and there were systems in place to develop staff and promote reflective practice. There was a culture of openness and inclusion at the service and we found a caring and positive atmosphere amongst the staff team. This was reflected in the way staff supported people and each other.

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We observed staff talking with and assisting people throughout the day, this was done with the peoples' privacy and dignity in mind and showed the staffs' awareness of peoples individual support needs. Care plans are descriptive and easy to follow, and when we asked staff were aware of people's needs.

We spoke with a number of people living in the service and a number of visiting relatives, though none of those we spoke with made any comment regarding their care in the home.

We looked at how medicines are administered and found that this is well administered, apart from the frequency of audits to ensure stock control and balances are correct.

We saw the planned refurbishment programme has commenced which will alter a number of areas within the home.

We spoke with a number of people living in the service and a number of visiting relatives. One of the people using the service stated 'the staff always provide you with something you like, even if its' not on the menu.' And another 'There is lots of entertainment, I especially like John Dove he sings and plays the organ; you are always get fish on a Friday, but they offer alternatives.' On our tour around the home we noted a number of sitting and dining rooms. There have been a number of areas decorated recently and the programme is continuing with planned refurbishments of some bathing areas. There is regular maintenance of the equipment in the home where internal staff and a number of external contractors are used to ensure this is safe for use. Toilets, bathrooms and bedrooms have privacy locks in place. The recruitment process is well documented to ensure people are safe. Staff receive regular training to ensure people are cared for safely.

We spoke with staff and they were able to tell us how people living in the home should be safeguarded and were aware how to follow this up with outside agencies were this necessary.

We noted that there are a number of floor coverings needing to be replaced as they do not provide safe conditions.