The Willows

We found the following examples of good practice.

The service had been proactive at supporting people to understand how to keep themselves safe whilst at home and in the community.

Some areas of the building had been repurposed. For example, a games room had been repurposed to a 'snug' which could be used for visiting. The room was adjacent to the main entrance and was spacious with good ventilation.

The service had introduced measures to prevent visitors from catching and spreading infections. Visitors were screened for COVID-19 and were provided with personal protective equipment (PPE).

Staff had received training on infection prevention and control measures and how to use PPE safely. PPE was available to staff throughout the service and staff were seen using it effectively. Staff competence and knowledge was regularly assessed.

Additional cleaning measures of frequent touch points had been introduced in the home. All areas of the home were clean. Weekly infection control audits were carried out.

COVID-19 testing was being carried out for people using the service and staff in line with the latest guidance.

The provider had effective systems in place to check staff and professional visitors were vaccinated against COVID-19.

The provider had updated their infection prevention and control policy to reflect the COVID-19 pandemic and additional measures that had been introduced.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found