Southdowns Nursing Home

There was evidence of learning from incidents and accidents. Staff were able to tell us how to keep people safe from harm and abuse. Staff had received relevant training in relation to their roles. We observed there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. The premises were safe and well maintained. We observed the home was clean and staff followed infection prevention and control practices. There were safe practices in relation to safe and effective staffing and robust recruitment processes. People were given their medicine in a timely manner and administration of medicines was appropriately recorded. There were processes in place to support good medicines optimisation. We observed people’s individual risks were being managed and people had accessed external support to meet their individual needs.

People and their relatives said the staff were kind, caring and knew their needs and how to support them. People were encouraged and prompted to complete things for themselves. A relative told us, “ I have peace of mind knowing that my loved one is safe." Staff prompted people with everyday choices, for example around their meals. We observed positive interactions between people and staff throughout the assessment. People were comfortable with the staff support.

All staff had received equality and diversity training. The provider had a policy in place to support the ethos at the home in which everyone was treated with fairness and were protected from any form of discrimination. People were treated as individuals and staff knew a lot about the people they support. There was evidence of regular review and support from supporting heath professionals within peoples' care plans. Staff ensured families were involved in all decisions.

The culture of the service was positive and one where learning was part of every day practice. The registered manager was available and approachable to staff, people and families. The staff team felt valued and well supported in their roles, and able to ask anything or make suggestions for improvement of the service. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of care.