The Manor House Harrogate

We found the following examples of good practice. • The service had introduced a nominated member of staff who focused on COVID-19 requirements. Their duties included managing staff and resident testing, monitoring any relevant self-isolation periods, cascading COVID-19 guidance to staff and communicating with residents' friends and family around current COVID-19 precautions. • The service had implemented a comprehensive checklist which all visitors were required to complete. This included a review of the visitor's COVID-19 vaccination and test status, a check of any COVID-19 symptoms, and details of any recent international travel. • Staff and managers were focused on supporting residents' independence, mental health and wellbeing needs throughout the pandemic. Staff completed risk assessments for residents that focused on their mental health needs, and where possible, staff encouraged residents to leave the home for exercise, recreation, activities or to meet friends and family. Where visits could not be made, staff undertook weekly update calls with each residents' family to allow them to remain involved and updated in their care. • The service was committed to protecting residents from the risk of COVID-19 during the pandemic. Staff completed COVID-19 risk assessments for all residents, particularly residents who may be at a higher risk of becoming seriously ill. Staff supported all residents to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters, and worked with residents' family on this. • Staff and managers had made changes to the home environment to keep staff and residents safe from the potential risk of COVID-19, however had found ways of doing this that minimised any impacts to residents and kept the environment as familiar and homely as possible. For example, residents could access an on-site sweet shop, and rather than closing this to residents during the pandemic, staff had worked to replace all items with individually wrapped and packaged items. In addition, hospitality areas had remained open throughout the pandemic, with social distancing implemented at seating areas and enhanced cleans undertaken. Where residents had tested positive for COVID-19, staff attached a ribbon to their door to alert staff of this risk, but in a delicate and compassionate manner.

The five questions we ask about services and what we found