Badminton Place

Badminton Place is a care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 73 people. At the time of the inspection there were 21 people living at the home. Since operating a further 92 people had been cared for by the home for various reasons. This included permanent care, respite care, reablement, end of life care and short stay. The home was purpose built in 2020. There were communal lounges, dining areas, cinema, hair salon and therapy rooms. People had access to garden areas. All rooms on the ground floor had patio doors with a terrace. The first and second floor had direct access to outside space with balconies.

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

People who lived at Badminton Place received excellent care from a passionate and dedicated staff team. Staff valued people and their life experiences, and they knew people extremely well. They provided care that was exceptionally individual to each person including their likes, dislikes and preferences.

People and relatives told us staff were extremely caring. Staff did all they could to promote people's independence and we saw examples of this. Staff supported people and their relatives to be involved with decisions relating to their care. People's privacy and dignity was upheld through the approaches taken by staff as well as in relation to the environment.

People had access to a wide range of activities which enabled them to live fulfilled and active lives. There were numerous examples of staff's endeavour to provide meaningful experiences and lasting happy memories. There were examples where staff had done their upmost to ensure people were able to fulfil their wishes.

People receiving end of life care experienced a comfortable, dignified and pain-free death. Staff had received specific training to help them meet the needs of people and their families. Staff provided emotional support and practical assistance needed at the end of the person's life. Staff told us they were supported by the management team who showed empathy and understanding.

The home was exceptionally well-led by a management team determined and driven to deliver an outstanding service, to lead by example, and who were fully committed to quality and placing people at the heart of everything they did. The whole home approach was evident and enabled staff to develop skills transferrable to other roles/duties. There was a clear sense of teamwork in the home. The provider had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the home including high quality communications sharing good practice and achievement across the organisation.

Staff involved in the inspection demonstrated a genuine passion for the roles they performed and their individual responsibilities. Visions for people and plans for the future were understood and shared across the staff team. They embraced new initiatives with the support of the registered manager and colleagues. They continued to look at the needs of people who used the service and ways to make positive changes.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through an effective risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People were supported to meet their nutritional needs and they complimented the food at the home. People had a pleasant, well-presented dining experience which offered a variety of appetising food choices available at times that suited their preferences. Staff supported people to maintain food and fluid intake, including, a continuous supply of snacks, and making people hot drinks to help them relax and maintain their comfort.

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. Staff had a particularly good understanding of when the principles of the Mental Capacity Act should be applied.

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

Rating at last inspection

The home was registered with us on 29 October 2020. It was previously registered in August 2020 but this had a change to the limited company’s name.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to check whether the provider was meeting legal requirements and regulations, and to provide a rating for the service as directed by the Care Act 2014.

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 inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

We found the following examples of good practice.

The service had an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) to meet current and future demand. Staff were using this correctly and in accordance with current guidance. Staff had received training in relation to Covid-19 which included, infection control and use and donning and doffing of PPE. Staff infection control practices and PPE use was closely monitored by the management team, to ensure correct procedures were being followed.

There was an infection control policy and contingency plan in place that had been updated as guidance had changed. We found the home to be clean with regular cleaning taking place throughout the day.

There was a clear process for visitors, which included a temperature check and the wearing of PPE. The environment for visitors followed national guidance for visitors to care homes. A pod had been installed in the front garden, with ceiling to floor screens to protect people. No visits were taking place within the home. Exceptions were made if people were receiving end of life care. Relatives visiting were then required to take a lateral flow COVID-19 test with a negative result before entering. People were able to keep in contact with family and friends by phone and video call.

The registered manager and staff communicated regularly with family of people living in the home. They also had effective relationships with other professionals such as GP surgeries for the benefit of people living in the home.

The service followed the current guidelines for care home testing; an enhanced testing regime was implemented. This was to ensure if people or staff had contracted COVID-19, measures were put in place in a timely way.

The management team supported staff with their well-being during the pandemic. Regular phone calls were made to staff who were isolating along with wellbeing packages sent out. The home had dedicated wellbeing champions who helped to support staff.