Cherry Tree Lodge

To ensure people's needs were met and to not place any workforce pressures on the service, the provider had taken the decision to stop taking any new admissions into the home.

There was a procedure in place to welcome visitors to the home, face masks were available and hand sanitisers at the entrance. Visitors were asked to complete a health questionnaire and have their temperatures taken before going to the persons room they were visiting. Visitors including health care professionals were asked to show their vaccination status.

The home was spacious allowing ease for social distancing. The home had designated outside space for visiting in the garden area and the provider had turned a vacant room on the ground floor into a visiting room to provide a choice of location to the person and their visitor. The room had a patio door which led into the garden area and was accessed by visitors via an outside entrance. This meant visitors could see their loved ones without entering the building, reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19. The service layout provided simple zoning off areas in case of a COVID-19 outbreak to prevent the risk of spreading infection. The home was light, airy, uncluttered and visibly clean throughout. Cleaning products were in line with government guidance and available throughout the home.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was in plentiful supply and the home had several PPE stations around the home to ensure staff always had access to PPE. Hand sanitizer was available at the entrance of the home and throughout the service. Staff had completed training supplied by local Clinical Commissioning Groups in the safe ways of donning and doffing PPE. Relatives told us they wear asked to wear masks when inside the home and told us staff wore PPE.

People told us they felt safe and well cared for. People were comfortable with staff and visitors wearing masks and understood it was to prevent the spreading of infection.

The home had routine testing in place for staff and people using the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found