Park Manor Care 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.

This is the first assessment for this newly registered service. This key question has been rated Good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

We have not awarded this service a score for Safe.

Find out about when we will not publish a key question score and what we look at when we assess Safe.

The service had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. They listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

The provider had processes to monitor, identify and act upon any trends in incidents, such as an increase in the number of falls or wounds people experienced. Staff were updated in handovers and team meetings to enable them to take any required actions to support people safely.

A relative told us, “Communication has improved, it’s not yet digital so we can’t get real time updates but if you go in to ask, staff on duty are very dedicated and prompt to answer your questions.”

A visiting health and social care professional told us, “Park Manor Care Home were responsive to guidance and continued to make improvements suggested by professionals.”

The service worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services.

The provider had processes to ensure relevant information was shared with other services when needed. People’s support needs were detailed within their care plans and risk assessments on the electronic system. An emergency pack with key information, was available in case of emergency hospital admission or when people moved to another care home. This supported continuity of care for people.

The service worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. They concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. The service shared concerns quickly and appropriately.

Staff confirmed they had safeguarding training and knew how to raise a safeguarding concern. Staff told us they were confident any safeguarding concerns reported to the registered manager would be treated sensitively and reported promptly to the relevant external agencies, in line with relevant legislation.

People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). In care homes, and some hospitals, this is usually through MCA application procedures called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA, whether appropriate legal authorisations were in place when needed to deprive a person of their liberty, and whether any conditions relating to those authorisations were being met.

The service worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. They provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

People’s records included a range of risk assessments related to a person’s health and wellbeing. Risk assessments, or guidance, was in place to help mitigate risks to people in relation to their health deteriorating. For example, people had risk assessments identifying action for staff to take to reduce the risk of falling, the risk of choking and the risk of infection. This meant staff were provided with sufficient information about how to support people safely.

A relative told us, “I can approach the nurse on duty and ask them to come and check my loved one anytime. They’ve done all sorts help keep them safe, like get a special pressure relief cushion and new bed.”

The service detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

Staff told us about regular maintenance tasks completed to keep people safe. These included equipment safety checks, visual checks of the environment and reporting any concerns identified so these could be rectified. Staff expressed confidence in the provider’s commitment to keeping people safe. A staff member told us, “They don’t put a price on health and safety here. If we need something, we can get contractors out and repairs complete to keep people safe, that’s the priority.”

The service made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

The registered manager monitored and reviewed staffing levels to ensure staff were there when people needed them. We observed sufficient staff on duty to support people without rushing. The registered manager told us improvements to the call bell system were being made. Staff undertook regular checks on people who chose to spend time in their bedroom during the day.

Staff spoke positively of their inductions. Comments included, “When I started I was supernumerary which gave me a chance to get to know people”, and “I was made to feel welcome during my induction, we are a team here. Focussed on keeping our residents happy.”

The provider had effective processes in place to ensure staff had the necessary skills and competence to carry out their roles. Recruitment records showed staff were recruited safely. Procedures were in place to ensure the required checks were carried out on staff before they commenced their employment. This included enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for adults. DBS checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the police national computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.

The provider had a robust infection prevention and control policy in place.

Personal Protective Equipment, such as aprons and gloves, were accessible to staff. We observed staff restock soap and paper towels to ensure good hand hygiene.

A visiting health and social care professional told us, “Park Manor Care Home has a clean and clutter free environment throughout the home.”

The service made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. They involved people in planning, including when changes happened.

Records showed that people received their medicines safely as prescribed. There were suitable arrangements for the storage, administration and disposal of medicines. When medicines were prescribed to be taken ‘when required’ there were detailed and person-centred protocols in place to guide staff when these might be needed.

We observed staff adhere to the provider’s medicines policy and administer medicines in line with people’s preferences.