Farway Grange Care Home (Nursing)

Farway Grange Care Home (Nursing) is a ‘care home’ that is registered to provide personal and nursing care to a maximum of 25 older people. The home provided care to older people across three floors accessed via stairs or a lift. At the time of our inspection there were 20 people living at the service.

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

There was a friendly, calm and welcoming atmosphere at Farway Grange Care Home (Nursing). Staff knew people and their health needs well. Potential risks to people’s health and welfare had been assessed and regularly reviewed.

People told us they felt safe living at Farway Grange and told us the staff supported and cared for them well. Staff spoke knowledgably about the system for reporting any potential signs of abuse.

The service had an ongoing programme of staff recruitment, at the time of the inspection the service had adequate levels of staff to ensure people were cared for safely. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the home and felt well supported at all times. Staff received appropriate training and completed regular supervision sessions.

Medicines were managed safely, stored securely and administered by trained staff. People received assistance to take their medicines as prescribed.

The service was compliant with guidance and safe processes relating to COVID-19. Infection control procedures were managed well within the service and staff had received training.

People told us they enjoyed their meals, one person told us, “The food here is absolutely top class.” Individual menus and diets were catered for and snacks of people’s choice were available throughout the day.

People received person centred care which suited their individual health needs and reflected their wishes and choices. People were cared for safely whilst maintaining and promoting their independence and well-being.

Staff supported people to communicate in ways they preferred. People were included and involved in decisions about their care, support and day to day lives.

People told us they enjoyed living at Farway Grange, that staff were kind, caring and patient. One person said, “The carers are all good, kind people…I’m happy here.” Staff supported people with dignity and respect and spoke knowledgably about ensuring people maintained their independence.

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.

The provider had a clear complaints policy and information explaining how to complain was on display. People knew how to complain and felt they would be listened to, although they told us they had not yet had to complain.

There was an activities member of staff who provided people with a range of activities to keep them active and involved if they wished. Some people told us they preferred not to take part and their wishes were respected.

There was an effective governance system in place. There were a variety of action plans, audits, policies, spot checks, systems and procedures to monitor the quality and safety of the service. These ensured a culture of continuous improvement and learning took place and highlighted any potential shortfalls to improve the safety and quality of care people received.

People, relatives and staff felt the service was well led. Staff spoke positively regarding the registered manager and management team and were committed and motivated to delivering quality person-centred care to people.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service under the previous provider was good, published on 29 September 2017.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

We found the following examples of good practice.

There was a clear procedure in place for welcoming visitors to the home. Health screening, temperature checks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) contributed to keeping people safe. Staff were observed wearing PPE as per the homes policy and in line with current government guidelines. There were enough supplies of PPE.

There were strict guidelines in place for accepting new admissions into the home, this included the receipt of a negative Covid-19 test result within 24 hours and a period of isolation.

Staff and residents were participating in a structured testing process for Covid-19 and had received their Covid-19 vaccinations. Social distancing was encouraged, and furniture had been rearranged to support this within the home.

Cleaning schedules were in place and the home was clean, free from clutter and tidy. Enhanced cleaning of high touch points such as light switches and handrails was in place. Cleaning products met with the recommended guidelines for hygiene.

The registered manager and deputy manager were supported by the provider to order and supply all the equipment needed to keep people safe. This included an infection control policy and programme of audits to ensure practice was checked and reviewed. Regular hand washing for staff ensured that they were following the policy.

Visits from relatives and loved ones were subject to various restrictions throughout the pandemic. There was a dedicated visitors room known as a ‘pod’ which had an external entrance and floor to ceiling screening, signage around this room reminded visitors of the procedures for preventing infection such as wearing PPE.