Lawnfield House

Everyone entering the home was required to wash and sanitise their hands and received a temperature check before being allowed to leave the reception area. All staff and visitors were required to don personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks, and disposable gloves and aprons, where appropriate, before entering any part of the home. Visitors were required to demonstrate a negative lateral flow test (LFT) for COVID-19 prior to entering any of the units at the home.

Visiting for people from family and friends was consistent with current government guidance. Staff had used laptop computers/tablets to enable people to keep in touch with friends and family where they or their loved ones were isolating. The provider had installed a visiting pod in the home's garden with a screen and separate entrances for people and their visitors should there be a need for safe visiting. At the time of our inspection the pod was not being used.

All staff were required to take a lateral flow test result twice weekly and more frequently if symptomatic. Where a lateral flow test was positive, the staff member was required to isolate from work until they could demonstrate a negative test. The provider paid full salary to staff who were required to isolate following a positive test result to ensure they were not financially disadvantaged.

All staff received training on COVID-19, infection control and the safe use of PPE. The home had sufficient stocks of PPE. Staff were observed to be wearing PPE during the inspection. Where a staff member was wearing a mask incorrectly, this was immediately addressed and followed up by the registered manager.

Members of the housekeeping team were observed cleaning frequently touched surfaces, such as light switches and door handles throughout the day. Seats and tables in communal areas were immediately cleaned after use. Care staff carried out these cleaning tasks during the evenings and at weekends. Cleaning rotas were signed by staff carrying out tasks and checked by a senior member of staff. This helped prevent and control infection within the home.

Staff were rostered to work on designated floors at the home to reduce the risk of any spread of infection between floors. Where agency staff were used, they worked at the home full-time and regularly and were required to follow the same procedures as permanent staff members. All staff, including agency staff, had received training in infection prevention and control.

Activities were repeated in each unit so that small groups of people could participate with their regular staff members in a socially distanced way. The registered manager told us the garden would be used for activities when the weather was warmer.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found