Southcrest Nursing Home

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At the last inspection this service was rated Good. This key question has been remained Good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The service had made significant improvements since the last inspection in 2019. The management team focussed on learning from incidents and concerns. There were systems of analysis and reflection that enabled the registered manager and staff to identify and implement actions to improve the care and support people received and embed good practice. People and their relatives felt the registered manager was open and honest and responsive to feedback. Concerns and incidents were reviewed and lessons learnt to improve and embed good practice. We found the registered manager responded to and acted upon the actions we identified during the inspection, and the provider had quickly implemented improvements and embedded them into the wider systems and processes.

The registered manager worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. Staff kept people’s assessments and care records comprehensive and up to date. This meant that when people used other services, staff shared accurate and detailed information about their needs. They regularly reviewed records to ensure they continued to reflect each person’s needs. They also made key information about people’s needs and wishes available to health professionals, supporting continuity of care and safe transitions between services.

Staff and the management team had a good understanding of what it meant to keep people safe. There was training and support to staff to understand and implement safeguarding procedures. Effective systems to safeguard people from abuse were in place and any concerns were escalated and shared with relevant agencies including the local authority and CQC, ensuring any concerns or accidents had been safeguarded appropriately.

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks. We found where interventions were needed to safely manage risks. These were clearly documented and monitored. For example, where a person had been assessed as needing repositioning to manage skin care, we found this was clearly written in the persons care records as taking place in line with their assessed need. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and supported people to do the things that mattered to them. People with impaired mobility or who spent times in their rooms were encouraged and supported safely to engage with activities and opportunities in the service. Staff had good knowledge of people’s needs and good approaches to risk were further reinforced with detailed risk assessments and care plans contributed to how risks were managed and mitigated.

The provider had a good overview of the home environment and effective systems of maintenance ensured potential risks in the care environment were managed. The environment was not purpose built as a care home, but the provider had recognised and was responding to a need for renovation. Works being undertaken were being managed safely. We found staff and the management team took pride in creating a safe and homely environment.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. Staff were recruited safely with relevant checks in place to ensure staff were suitable. We found when people alerted staff to a need for assistance staff were quick to respond. We were assured there were enough staff to ensure the delivery of safe and effective care through both the day and night.

There were effective procedures in place for infection control. We found staff understood the safe use of PPE (Personal protective equipment) and maintained a clean and hygienic environment. The registered manager maintained a good oversight of staff practice and standards.

We found some strategies used by staff to administer medicines to some people meant people were not always observed taking their medicines. We discussed this with the registered manager and the staff and changes had been made by the end of the inspection to discretely observe these medicines being taken. This change of approach increased the safety and of administering the medicines.

Medicines were stored and managed safely. Only staff who had relevant medicines competencies and training were able to administer medicines. Medicines records were accurate and reflective of what had been administered. Where people need as required ‘PRN’ medicines this appeared to be administered in line with their prescribed needs.