Castlemead Court Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

● The service had developed a dedicated unit of en-suite rooms to care safely for people who were admitted to the service with Covid-19. The area had its own access lift and was separated from the rest of the floor by a fire door and screen. Measures were in place to keep people safe and well cared for, and to reduce the risk of infection spread to other areas. For example, staff only worked in this unit and did not access other areas of the service. All equipment was kept separate. Each room had its own television and access to music and the radio via voice activated technology. This reduced the risk of isolation for people while they remained on the unit.

● Indoor visits had recently started to take place. These were accompanied by robust arrangements to ensure the safety of people and visitors. This included a booking system, risk questionnaire, visitor agreement, temperature check and the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

● Enhanced cleaning schedules including regular cleaning of touch areas such as handrails and door handles were in place. This reduced the risk of cross infection.

● The service had well developed plans in place to use social bubbles and separate zones in the event of an outbreak of infection. This meant people who found it difficult to isolate in their rooms, perhaps due to being mobile and living with dementia, could be supported as safely as possible.

● Creative ideas were encouraged to support people remain safe and active. For example, activity trolleys had been introduced on each floor to support people when they needed to isolate in their rooms. Activities such as bathing dolls in warm soapy water supported some people living with dementia to wash their hands more frequently.

● Changes to staff practice throughout the pandemic period included staff not working across different floors and having access to different exit and entry routes. This reduced the risk of infection spread. Staff had received additional training in infection prevent and control and the use of PPE.

● Staff employed by the service did not work in any other care setting. This meant the risk of cross infection was reduced. A team of bank staff were used to cover vacant shifts as far as possible.

● Staff and people living in the service accessed regular testing for Covid-19. This meant action could be taken swiftly in the event anyone developed symptoms of the virus or had a positive test result.

● The infection prevention and control policy was up to date. People and staff had risk assessments in place to identify their individual risks associated with Covid-19. This meant protective measures could be put in place to keep people and staff safe.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found