St Anne's Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

Visitors to St Anne’s were protected from risks of catching and preventing infection as arrangements were in line with best practice. Visiting was by appointment only and on arrival a rapid COVID-19 test was carried out which after 30 minutes gave a negative or positive reading. Visitors were given an individually packed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) pack which reduced the risk of cross contamination. In exceptional circumstances, such as a person being at the end of their life, risk assessments had been completed to enable additional visiting to take place safely.

Infection Prevention and Control policies were up to date and accessible both on the home’s website and in paper form. Communication was open and transparent with families and took place in a range of ways including video calls and emails.

People living at the home and staff were participating in regular COVID-19 testing and the vaccination programme. People were involved in decisions and had their consent obtained for testing and vaccination in line with legal requirements. Information had been shared with staff that aimed to address health or cultural issues enabling staff to make informed decisions that were right for them.

PPE and hand sanitiser were available throughout the home and in good supply. The building and equipment were clean and well maintained.

Most people chose to spend all their time in their own room. Risks of social isolation were recognised and understood. We observed staff frequently entering people’s rooms and enjoying time with them.

This was the registered provider’s first comprehensive inspection since purchasing the home in February 2018.

People’s experience of using this service:

All of the feedback we received about St Anne’s Nursing Home from people, visitors and staff was positive. People were happy living at the home and reported that their needs were fully met, and they felt well cared for. The atmosphere in the home was warm and friendly.

St Anne’s Nursing Home was furnished and decorated in a way that gave a very homely feel to it. The home was clean and well maintained throughout.

People were supported by staff who understood how to identify and report abuse and how to whistle blow. Staff supported people to take medicines safely.

Staff were experienced and well supported by the management of the home.

People were enabled to have choice and control of their lives and staff did this in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The new registered provider was developing and improving various policies, procedures and systems in the home. Quality assurance processes had identified a number of areas for improvement and these were being addressed. This included noting that recording of fluid intake needed to be improved and ensuring that all staff training was up to date.

Some areas for improvement such as care planning and record keeping about pressure area care had not been identified by the registered provider. They assured us that quality assurance systems were still being developed in some areas. Checks and audits that had been completed had involved people and led to a safer and better-quality service.

People, relatives and professionals told us they could confidently raise any concerns, and these were addressed appropriately.

Rating at last inspection: St Anne’s nursing home was purchased by new owners in 2018. This was the first inspection of the service since the new owners were registered.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection in accordance with the suggested timescales following a new registration.

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 any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk