- Care home
Fairland House
Report from 10 January 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
We carried out an assessment to Fairland House between 9 January 2024 and a site visit 24 January 2024. due to concerns raised by the local authority about infection control, poor environment, and medicines management. We looked at all five key questions and different quality statements as shown in the report. Fairland house is a care home that provides accommodation to up to 34 older people living with or without dementia. During our site visit we identified some improvements had been made but not firmly embedded in respect to the accommodation, medicines practices and cleanliness. We observed staff being patient and kind and were greeted by a manager and deputy manager both who had recently come into post and had started to make changes. We noted that staffing was compromised, and people did not receive timely care. Most people were in their room throughout the day and despite activities being organised staff were really stretched to involve people to join in leading to the risk of social isolation. Staff had not been supported to develop appropriate skills beyond their initial training and had not always felt well supported. Care records and audits did not always identify shortfalls in care practices or accurately reflect people’s needs. A digitalised records system had been introduced but was not firmly embedded. Environmental concerns were still identified, and the lack of effective cleaning schedules meant areas of the home were not sufficiently clean which could increase the risk of cross infection. Dealing with emergency situations were compromised by a lack of training and clearly understood processes. Not all staff could demonstrate sufficient knowledge of fire safety and low staffing levels at night could potentially compromise people’s safety and put them at risk. This was addressed immediately. Governance and oversight had been really poor and people and their relatives had little influence over the service.
People's experience of this service
People had a variable experience over time due to inconsistencies in staffing and management. Lots of changes within the service had meant people had felt unsettled and had not always had their needs recognised and met in a timely way. Some recent improvements in how people received their daily care including their mealtime experience were noted but we found most people in their room with little stimulation or interaction. Family members complained about basic care at times being lacking when there were shortages of staff. There was evidence the service worked in consultation with other professionals to meet people’s health care needs and discuss any changes, but some staff lacked knowledge which could impede people’s safety and care experience. Availability and deployment of staff meant had to wait for their care and this was not always centred around their needs and wishes.