Elton House Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

¿ Systems were in place to prevent people, staff and visitors from catching and spreading infections. The home had invested in technology to ensure they could track and trace people’s movements in the home to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. The provider was in the process of purchasing the rapid testing kits. This meant they would be able to offer people visiting the service an immediate result to a test, this will offer assurances to the people living at Elton House and the management team before visitors enter.

¿ Staff had undertaken training in putting on and taking off PPE, hand hygiene and other COVID-19 related training. Nominated staff who had received additional training, to be infection control leads, monitored staff practices to ensure high standards and correct procedures were followed. Additional cleaning of all areas and frequent touch surfaces was being carried out.

¿ Staff supported people's social and emotional wellbeing. Additional activities had been planned within the home during lockdown to positively support people through the period. Visitor were restricted at the time of the inspection; however, people were able to speak with their friends and relatives. When visits reconvene, this will be in line with the national guidance, to ensure a safe social distance is maintained Infection prevention and control measures were in place to avoid potential transmission with others.

¿ The home was following national guidance for anyone moving into the home. Staff worked with people and their relatives to ensure they were aware of isolation procedures should they be needed. People were supported by a dedicated staff team who helped reduce any feelings of isolation and loneliness reduced.

¿ Infection control audits and checks were carried out. The manager spoke positively about the dedication which staff had shown, which had helped to minimise the impact of the pandemic on people's health and wellbeing.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Elton House is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 39 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 95 people.

Elton House accommodates people across three floors. Each person has their own ‘apartment’ with a separate en-suite and kitchenette area. Each room and communal bath / shower room has separate adapted facilities. The home has a separate area specifically designed to enable people living with dementia to live as independently as possible with minimal restrictions.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The service provided exceptionally responsive, person-centred support to people which consistently achieved outstanding outcomes for people. Staff consistently went the extra mile to find out what people have done in the past. This enabled people to carry out person-centred activities, which enriched the quality of their lives. People were supported to maintain and develop new relationships that mattered to them and protected them from the risk of social isolation and loneliness. The registered manager used concerns to improve the service. People were supported sensitively and with compassion with end of life care, which ensured people experienced a comfortable, dignified and pain-free death.

People were protected from avoidable harm and abuse by staff. Risks to people's safety had been identified and assessed. Staff followed people's risk management plans to keep them safe. People received their prescribed medicines safely, from staff who had their competency to administer medicines assessed.

People's medicines were reviewed regularly to ensure continued administration was still required to meet their needs. Cleanliness and hygiene were maintained throughout the home, which reduced the risk of infection. Staff followed the required standards of food safety and hygiene, when preparing, serving and handling food.

People felt staff were well trained and able to support them effectively. Staff reviewed their development through regular supervision and appraisal meetings and staff felt supported by the management team. People gave mixed views about the food provided, but this met their dietary needs and preferences. A wide range of healthcare professional services were available to monitor and maintain people’s health and well-being.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported

this practice.

People felt staff were caring, kind and respectful when supporting them. People told us they felt their opinions mattered and they were listened to. People’s cultural and spiritual needs were encouraged and respected.

People, their relatives, staff and healthcare professionals confirmed the service was well-led. Regular audits were carried out to drive improvements. Governance systems in the service supported the high quality care people received and improvement plans continually sought ways to develop the care further.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 04 September 2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on when they registered.

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 we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.