Archived: Stanshawes Care Home

Stanshawes is a care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 48 people. There were 31 people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

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

People received a service that was safe. The registered manager and staff understood their roles and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. People were supported to take risks, promote their independence and follow their interests. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. There were enough staff to safely provide care and support to people. Checks were carried out on staff before they started work to assess their suitability to support vulnerable people. Medicines were well managed, and people received their medicines as prescribed. One staff member told us, “I feel reassured knowing the management are doing their very best to make the staff team and our residents feel secure and safe”.

The service was effective in meeting people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision and training required to meet people’s needs. Arrangements were made for people to see a GP and other healthcare professionals when they needed to do so. People were supported to enjoy a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice. 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 place supported this practice.

During a brief tour of the home we saw people were relaxed, comfortable and most were spending times in their rooms. The feedback we received from people, relatives and staff was positive and reflected a caring service. Staff had a good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. They were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. People were supported to maintain their personal interests and hobbies and they enjoyed activities. One relative told us, “My relative does baking and art, she really enjoys this, and it helps with her welfare”. It was evident there was a person-centred approach to care.

The service was responsive to people’s needs. Staff monitored and responded to changes in people’s needs. They were offered a range of activities. Everyone was encouraged to make their views known and the service responded by making changes.

People benefitted from a service that was well led. The provider and whole staff team maintained a focus on seeking to improve the service people received. One relative told us, “Everything seems to run very smoothly, and I feel confident that my relative is being well cared for”. Quality assurance systems were in place and based upon regular, scheduled audits which identified any action required to make improvements. This meant the quality of service people received was monitored on a regular basis and, where shortfalls were identified they were acted upon.

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 4 June 2020 and this is their first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection in order to give the home a rating.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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.

Stanshawes Care Home provides personal and nursing care for up to 48 older people. The service is provided in accommodation over two floors. At the time of the inspection, 38 people were living at the home.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Clear procedures were in place for visitors at the service. This included screening all visitors for coronavirus symptoms, carrying out a temperature check, and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE). Most visits had been suspended at the time of our inspection, but these had been well planned to ensure people had social contact whilst managing the risk and spread of infection. A spacious, custom made visiting pod had been installed in the grounds, and careful management, separate entrances and a full Perspex screen ensured people were protected in line with current best practice.

Families were able to visit people who were receiving end of life care. In these cases, lateral flow testing was carried out before a visit could take place, and additional PPE was worn by visitors. When visits in person were not possible, families were supported to keep in contact with their relatives by phone and video calls. A private Facebook group had been set to keep families informed and up to date. Staff told us they felt the communication with relatives was better now than it had ever been.

Morale at the service seemed good, and the registered manager spoke highly of the staff team. There was effective communication to ensure staff were informed and kept up to date. Staff were well supported, and risk assessments had been completed with those who identified as facing higher risks. One staff member explained that they felt safer at the service than anywhere else, and they were proud of the staff team’s commitment to safety.

Staff had received training in infection prevention and control measures, including hand hygiene, testing and the safe use of PPE. We saw staff following safe practices during our inspection. An additional housekeeper had been employed, and a staff member had taken on a new ‘covid marshall’ role. This showed staff were committed to maintaining high standards in infection prevention and control, and to keeping people, staff and visitors safe. The service was clean and well maintained and procedures throughout the building helped control the risk of cross infection.

Regular testing was in place for staff and people who lived at the service. People were not able to come to live at the service until they had a negative coronavirus test. People who lived at the service had started to receive vaccinations against Covid-19. Information about testing and vaccinations was clearly recorded to provide assurance and overview.

Clear checks and records were in place to ensure high standards were maintained. The registered manager had plans in place to develop the service, maintain quality and continue to keep people safe.