Hamilton House

We found the following examples of good practice.

A recent outbreak of COVID-19 was being managed. Staff followed guidance in people's risk assessments and care plans to keep people safe. The provider had ensured people and staff who tested positive, or displayed COVID-19 symptoms, had isolated in line with government guidance.

The home sent regular updates to family members to update them on current visiting restrictions in the home with assurances about how they were managing.

Since the outbreak the provider had maintained a no visiting policy, with an exception for people who were nearing the end of their life. The provider kept their visiting policy under review to ensure they supported people to keep safe.

The provider had also built a visiting pod with screening to minimise the risk of spreading infection, this enabled people to receive their visitors in a comfortable and safe way when the home is able to reopen to visitors.

The environment was very clean. Additional cleaning was taking place including of frequently touched surfaces.

There were sufficient stocks of PPE in the home. Stocks included masks, gloves, aprons and visors. There were also sufficient stocks of hand sanitiser and cleaning materials.

There was clear signage on the correct use of PPE and handwashing techniques and staff had received appropriate infection control and prevention training.

People and staff underwent regular COVID-19 testing in line with government guidance. This ensured anyone who had contracted COVID-19 could be identified in a timely way.

The provider had robust contingency plans in place. This ensured the safety of the service during the pandemic.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found