The Orchard Nursing Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

● People were chatting and engaging with staff and this did not appear to be impacted by staff wearing masks. Staff told us they sometimes wrote things down for people to aid communication. The wellbeing team was providing support to help prevent loneliness and boredom for people. ● Information was displayed about COVID-19 giving clear and accessible advice. ● The provider had developed policies, procedures and risks assessments for managing the service in relation to COVID-19. This included if a staff member was unable to wear a mask or wore long sleeves for religious reasons. Control measures were put in place. ● The home was clean and there was cleaning ongoing during our visit. ● People were in cohorts on their units and considered communal areas as part of their home. ● There was a visitor's pod for use when visits were permitted. This was separate to the home to help promote people's safety. There was also regular virtual contact with friends and family. ● When people tested positive for COVID-19 they had to isolate in their rooms, for a set period of time. Staff were clear on what it meant to isolate and what symptoms of COVID-19 to look out for. People returning from hospital or those new to the home had to isolate for 14 days. Where this was not possible, for example for someone who may be living with dementia, a risk assessment was completed. ● Staff had received training on putting on and taking off personal protective equipment (PPE), infection control and COVID-19. They told us they felt supported and had enough information to do their jobs. They said the management team checked they worked safely.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found