The Malting's Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice. The service was only receiving essential visitors at the time of our inspection. Visitors were required to take a Lateral Flow Test (LFT). This test enables the provider to test for COVID –19 and have results within a short period of time. There were stations to wash hands and personal protective equipment (PPE) was available to everyone to keep people safe.

People living in the service had their meal times and activities staggered to support better ways of social distancing. Communal spaces had been adapted to ensure social distancing was maintained. The provider had installed a "pod" into the home to support safe visiting. Relatives accessed the pod from the garden, the provider had installed a partitioned wall with a big viewing pane for good visibility and a two-way speaker system that allowed good communication.

People were supported by staff in full PPE, this is called barrier nursing. This is to protect both staff and people living in the service from spreading infections. Staff received training in infection prevention and the correct procedure for putting on and removing PPE, this is called donning and doffing.

The registered manager told us that they had changed systems within the service to reduce the spread of infection. For example, the same staff would work in the same areas this is known as cohorting and is good infection control practice. The home had no COVID-19 cases at the time of the inspection but were still applying these good practices.

The building was clean and free from clutter. During our inspection we observed cleaning staff completing their duties. The registered manager told us that frequently touched areas were cleaned more often. The home had infection control champions they would ensure on a weekly check list that there were enough PPE in stock and that appropriate signage was in place throughout the home. Staff were also observed individually to ensure donning and doffing procedures and guidance were followed.

The registered manager told us that they were working collaboratively with the General Practitioner (GP) from the local surgery who was their clinical lead. The provider spoke highly of the GP and confirmed the GP had been very supportive and involved with the home, they had supported staff with good guidance around infection control.

The registered manager told us that they were working collaboratively with colleagues from the Local Authority and CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) and were well supported as a result.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found