Prince Alfred Residential Care Home

Prince Alfred is a residential care service that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 50 people. It accommodates people across two floors, each of which has separate facilities. At the time of our inspection, there were 46 people living at the home.

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

Everyone we spoke with said they felt safe living at the home. Staff were recruited and selected safety, and medicines were appropriately managed. Incidents and accidents were appropriately recorded and analysed for patterns and trends. There were enough staff to ensure people were kept safe, and call bells were answered in a timely manner. Risks to people’s health and well-being were assessed and reviewed appropriately. Safety checks on the environment were in place and robust. Staff could clearly describe the course of action they would take if they felt someone was being harmed or abused.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control over 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. Staff were appropriately trained and supervised to enable them to carry out their roles. People were supported to eat a balanced diet. We did receive some mixed feedback regarding the food which we fed back to the registered manager.

People said the staff were kind and caring, and we observed warm and familiar caring interactions between staff and people throughout the duration of our inspection. People said staff were “Amazing” and “Absolutely wonderful”. Staff spoke about people with genuine warmth and consideration, and we heard staff asking people if they wanted or needed any help or support during our inspection. There was a warm, welcoming, friendly, homely atmosphere throughout the home. People were very at home in the service and their dignity was promoted exceptionally well. Staff in all roles were passionate about the people living at Prince Alfred and were highly committed to ensuring the best outcomes for people. Staff took time to understand and encourage the unique and individual needs of the people they supported and treated them with the utmost respect. This was reflected in the care and support given to the staff by the management team, who recognised the effects of valuing staff in order for them to deliver high quality care.

People told us how they were supported by staff to follow their interests and engage in relevant and meaningful activities which gave them purpose. There was particular emphasis on tasks people could do for themselves, such as washing, dressing and choosing what they wore, how they spent their day, and what time they wanted to get up and go to bed.

Care plans were person centred and reviewed regularly to ensure any changing needs were taken into account. There was a complaints policy in place, which was made available in different formats to support people’s understanding. There had been no recent complaints, however everyone we spoke with told us they knew how to complain.

All people, without exception, knew who the registered manager was. Staff told us the registered manager led by example and was ‘always doing what was best for people at the home.’ The registered manager welcomed feedback and was clearly proud of the home and the staff team. All notifications had been sent to CQC, and the registered manager understood what was expected of them. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the home, and they felt they could approach the registered manager to help them develop further in their roles or if they had any concerns.

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 the service under the previous provider was good, published on 28 August 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

We found the following examples of good practice

Visits were restricted to essential visitors only and they were carried out safely. Arrangements were in place to safely facilitate visits for people receiving end of life care. A 'visiting pod' was in the process if being built outside the main building to provide a safe space for family visits.

Staff followed shielding and social distancing rules and encouraged people to maintain social distancing. Furniture in communal areas had been rearranged to help people to maintain social distancing.

No person had been admitted to the service during a recent COVID-19 outbreak, however safe procedures were in place for admitting people into the service.

The right standard of personal protective equipment (PPE) was in good supply and PPE stations were located across the service. Staff completed training and underwent regular checks on their competency around the safe use of PPE. Staff used and disposed of PPE correctly.

COVID-19 testing was available to people using the service and staff. The frequency of testing was in line with current guidance.

Staff reassured people throughout the pandemic and provided them with the support they needed to maintain regular contact with family and friends through the use of technology.