The Knoll Nursing Home (Yeovil) Limited

We found the following examples of good practice.

The provider had a small outbreak of Coronavirus within in the home in December 2020. At the time of the inspection no one was testing positive and we were assured the provider was keeping people safe.

Staff had received training in infection control, including how to safely put on and take off personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, aprons, and face coverings. One staff member told us, "Senior staff check staff competencies and we observe each other." Adding, "We have a code word we use if we see anyone not wearing their PPE properly to remind them." We saw staff wearing appropriate PPE and changing their PPE when moving from room to room.

Visitors took a Coronavirus test before coming into the building which had to be negative before they could come in. They had their temperatures recorded and were asked to wash their hands and wear full PPE. One staff member told us, "We encouraged relatives to use the outside space for visits, but we do have a floor to ceiling screen to use inside that keeps people socially distanced." Another staff member told us, "We support people to use phones and other technology to keep in touch".

When staff started their shift, they recorded their temperature and sanitised their hands before entering the building. There was a dedicated toilet next to the front entrance where staff could change into their uniform.

The home was split into two floors and staff could isolate each floor. The registered manager told us, "A lot of the residents are nursed in bed, but people were happy to self-isolate if they needed to. Adding, "We implemented additional cleaning methods, that included sanitising places that were regularly touched, such as handrails and door handles".

The registered manager had regular contact with Public Health England and the local commissioning team to monitor their infection control procedures. The registered manager told us, "The clinical commissioning team came in December and carried out their infection control inspection and were happy with the way we are managing". We saw the report that confirmed this.

The provider was not admitting people to the home currently because of building works they were carrying

out. The registered manager told us they do have vacancies, but no one would be admitted without a negative test first. The registered manager ensured regular testing was carried out, weekly for staff and monthly for people living in the home. Staff we spoke with were confident and knowledgeable about how to protect people from the risk of infection and the environment was clean and well kept.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found