Vishram Ghar

Overall the environment was good and was well maintained. There were some areas of the service that required improvement. The provider was in the process of building a new laundry facility as the current laundry was not fit for purpose. There were other minor areas that required decoration and sealing to prevent the ingress of fluids and the potential for cross contamination. This compromised infection control measures and the effectiveness of cleaning, which meant this could contribute to the spread of infection to people and staff.

Quality assurance audits undertaken by the provider, were not effective in identifying the shortfalls found during the inspection. We were not fully assured that this service met good infection prevention and control guidelines.

We found the following examples of good practice. ● Care staff regularly tested people for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and isolated people when required. The provider participated in regular Covid-19 testing of people living in the service and staff. That ensured action could be taken swiftly to reduce the potential spread of infection if a positive test was returned. ● Domestic staff had a thorough programme of cleaning and disinfection to deter cross infection and cross contamination within the home. Areas were cleaned and disinfected with cleaning products approved to reduce the potential transfer of infection ● The provider ensured plentiful supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE). This included face masks and aprons and we saw staff used these appropriately. Staff were encouraged to change their PPE regularly. Used PPE was disposed of in special foot operated pedal bins situated throughout the home which reduced the potential for transfer of infection. ● Staff encouraged people to wash their hands frequently throughout the day. Where this was not possible, hand sanitiser was offered as a means to reduce the transfer of infection. ● Risk assessments had been completed to protect people and any staff who may be at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19, measures were in place to support them. Staff were supported by the option of contacting a staff member for their personal wellbeing. The provider had appointed a member of staff to coordinate the wellbeing of all the people in the homes, their relatives and staff in all the company locations. ● Staff worked in set teams with staff working in defined areas, which lessened the potential of cross infection within shift members.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found