St Benedicts Nursing Home Limited

We found the following examples of good practice.

Safe practices were in place to support visits to the care home. Visitors were greeted on arrival. Guidance was displayed at each entrance. Visitors were required to have their temperature checked and to confirm their current health status. They were asked to clean their hands and supported to put on the personal protective equipment (PPE) provided. This included aprons, masks and gloves. Visitors were also required to undertake a COVID lateral flow test (LFT) and wait for the result, before they started their visit.

In addition to bedroom visits, if assessed as safe and appropriate, two visiting areas were available. A bedroom had been reallocated to create a visiting 'pod,' and a COVID testing area. The other was a room off a main lounge area with direct access from outside. Visits were planned and booked in advance with intervals between visits for staff to clean the visiting areas.

The operations manager communicated changes and provided updates for relatives on a regular basis. For example, in response to a recent government announcement regarding visits to care homes, they wrote to all relatives. They provided clear guidance and set out the care home expectations, so relatives would know clearly how the changes would be implemented. The clinical lead had reassessed people living in the home and their individual visiting care plans had been updated.

People were also supported to keep in touch with relatives in ways that were meaningful to them, by phone and video calls. This was in addition to other group and individual activities, facilitated by the two activity coordinators. The home was calm, and we saw people were actively engaged and occupied during our inspection.

Isolating, cohorting and zoning plans were used to manage the spread of infection. This meant people could be safely isolated, with a dedicated and consistent small team of staff to support them. In the event of an outbreak occurring, 'zoned' areas had been identified that could be separated from other parts of the home. People newly admitted to the home were isolated for 14 days.

For people in the care home who were living with dementia, it was not always possible to achieve social distancing. The clinical lead told us they tried to mitigate the risks of the spread of infection, with enhanced cleaning of frequently used surfaces. Cleaning schedules and records were completed by the housekeeping team.

A regular programme of testing for staff and people who used the service, was in place. In addition, over 90% staff and people who used the service had received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine.

Staff had received Infection Prevention and Control training. Staff compliance with required cleaning practices and use of PPE was monitored on each shift by designated members of staff. Regular audits and checks were completed by the management team. We saw evidence of actions taken in response to non- compliance. Policies, procedures and risk assessments related to COVID were detailed and up to date. This all supported staff to keep people safe.

The clinical lead spoke positively about the support and guidance they had received from the Local Authority and CCG support teams and the GP practice. They also told us their staff team had been 'amazing' and had worked incredibly well since the onset of the pandemic. Staff were given the opportunity to express any fears or concerns and were supported to take 'time out' if needed. They were also provided with periodic financial bonuses, in recognition of their commitment and dedication to the care home.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found