Belong Wigan Care Village

People with a wide range of needs are supported, from residential care to nursing. Nursing care was provided by registered nurses, but each household had a mix of needs. The village is set on three levels with two households on each. All bedrooms provide single accommodation and have en-suite facilities. At the time of the inspection there were four vacancies at the service.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Information for visitors was clearly communicated. Any visitors to the service were screened for symptoms of COVID-19 on arrival. Alternative arrangements, such as video calls, were in place to help people maintain contact with their loved ones. All visits were individually assessed, and person-centred visit plans were in place.

Each household could be isolated from the others if necessary. When people were isolated in their own rooms there was a poster on their door to alert staff to this, with clear instructions around the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

The service ensured people had been tested for COVID-19 prior to being admitted. They were then isolated for 14 days, as per current guidance, and observed for any symptoms. The service was participating in whole home testing and staff had a good understanding of symptoms of COVID-19.

Clear signage on donning and doffing PPE and handwashing was visible around the home. Staff were observed to use PPE appropriately.

There were domestic staff employed who had cleaning schedules to complete. This included frequency of cleaning high touch areas, such as light switches, keyboards and door handles. Records of cleaning showed compliance with the schedules.

Rooms were designated for specific activities and were subject to regular enhanced cleaning in between use. Laundry was managed safely in a designated room.

Staff in high risk groups had been risk assessed. All staff worked in only one unit and did not work in other services.

The service demonstrated a good understanding of when and how to access local resources.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found