The Peele

The Peele is registered to provide nursing and personal care for a maximum of 108 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. Due to extensive renovations several areas of the home were closed. At the time of our inspection there were 21 people living at the service.

The care home accommodates people in separate units, over three floors. Three units were operating at the time of this inspection. One of the units specialises in providing nursing care to people living with dementia. Two units were allocated to care for and support people waiting for assessments following discharge from hospital.

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

Robust recruitment procedures ensured suitable staff were employed. People were supported by staff who understood how to identify and report potential abuse. Medicines were managed so people received their medicines as prescribed. Risks to people's health, safety and well-being associated with their care needs were assessed and management plans were in place to ensure risks were reduced wherever possible. People told us they felt safe. Premises checks and all maintenance records were up to date. Required test and safety certificates were in place. When accidents or incidents occurred, learning was identified to reduce the risk of them happening again.

People had their care and support needs met by sufficient numbers of suitably trained staff. The care environment was clean, and a major programme of redesign and refurbishment was in progress. Infection control procedures were in place and staff used PPE effectively. Cleaning regimes were in place to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic.

People had the support they needed to maintain a balanced diet and good health. Staff received training and support to give them the knowledge and skills needed to care for people safely and effectively.

Staff promoted positive, caring relationships with the people who lived at the service. They knew how people preferred their care and support to be provided. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and promoted independence, equality and diversity. People and their relatives were involved in the planning and delivery of their care.

Care plans and risk assessments provided staff with relevant information so that person-centred care could be provided for people. The service had good working relationships with local GP practices and healthcare professionals. The service worked in partnership with people, their families and staff. We received positive feedback from people, professionals and staff about the service.

People were complimentary of the care they received. People and their relatives had appreciated the efforts of the home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The service was keen to re-establish partnerships with professionals following the COVID-19 pandemic, as visits to the home had been limited.

There was positive leadership in the service. The service had good governance arrangements in place and completed regular internal quality checks at all levels. Findings from audits carried out by those with nominated responsibilities were reviewed by senior management and used effectively to improve practice and the service.

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

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 6 October 2020 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 27 March 2020.

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.

The overall rating for the service remains Good.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Peele on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

The Peele is a large adapted building consisting of separate households. At the time of the inspection, the home was undergoing major refurbishment work and the number of people living at The Peele had reduced to 21. The service had the capacity to operate as a designated setting.

We found the following examples of good practice.

The unit chosen as the designated setting, the Nightingale Unit, was on the ground floor and directly accessed from the foyer of the home. There was no contact with people living on the first and second floors of the home. A 'clean room' had been established for staff to enable enhanced levels of hygiene. This reduced the risk of the spread of infection.

The unit was clean and hygienic. The environment was spacious and social distancing was promoted in communal areas. The unit had a wrap-around outside space that people could access from the ground floor lounge area.

Stations were established at the entrance of all eight rooms, housing personal protective equipment. Staff had received initial donning and doffing training during the COVID-19 pandemic and refresher training had recently been delivered.

Robust systems were in place to track the vaccination and testing status of all permanent staff and those employed from an agency. The registered manager was supported by a strong staff team, including a deputy manager and a clinical lead. The service had three infection control champions who informed staff of infection control best practice.

We were assured that this service met good infection prevention and control and control guidelines as a designated care setting.