Davenham Hall Nursing Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

The environment was clean and hygienic with an enhanced cleaning schedule in place to minimise the spread of infection. Staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Extra PPE was used when people living in the home were supported with personal care.

All visitors to the service had checks on their temperature taken prior to entry and where required to declare any recent symptoms or previous test results in line with current COVID-19 guidelines.

Care plans assessed and identified the risk of people contracting COVID-19. All of the people who lived in the home were regularly tested, had their temperatures checked regularly throughout the day and had received their COVID-19 vaccination. Staff were also subject to regular COVID-19 testing.

People newly admitted to the service were tested appropriately for COVID-19 prior and had a period of isolation after admission to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

Despite the lockdown restrictions; people who used the service appeared relaxed, comfortable and a home-like atmosphere was sustained. One person commented, "I know all these masks they [staff] wear is to keep me safe."

Since the previous inspection Davenham Hall has undergone some refurbishments. The unit manager for The Barns (specialist dementia unit within Davenham Hall) told us of their plans to create an environment that was meaningful for people living with dementia; some of these plans had already been implemented during our inspection.

The atmosphere within Davenham Hall was calm and homely; the management team and staff had developed strong, familiar and positive relationships with people and family members. Throughout the inspection the registered manager, management team and staff were observed to be warm and affectionate towards people and often displayed intimate physical contact that was appropriate and accepting from people.

Staff showed a genuine motivation to deliver care in a person centred way based on people’s preferences and likes. People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff used techniques to help relax people with positive outcomes. Everyone we spoke with told us Davenham Hall was a homely place to live and visit and staff told us it was like ‘home from home’.

People told us they felt safe living at the service and family members were confident their relatives were kept safe. Risks that people faced were identified and assessed and measures put in place to manage them and minimise the risk of harm occurring. Staff showed a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities for keeping people safe from harm. Medicines were managed safely and people received medication at the right time. The environment was safe and people had access to appropriate equipment where needed.

Sufficient numbers of suitably qualified and skilled staff were deployed to meet people’s individual needs. Only agency staff employed by the registered provider were used to cover any shortfalls in staffing levels to ensure that consistent staff were used to support people. Staff received a range training and support appropriate to their role and people's needs.

People’s needs and choices were assessed and planned for. Care plans identified intended outcomes for people and how they were to be met in a way they preferred. People told us they received all the right care and support from staff who were well trained and competent at what they did. People received the right care and support to maintain good nutrition and hydration and their healthcare needs were understood and met. People who were able consented to their care and support. Where people lacked capacity to make their own decisions they were made in their best interest in line with the Mental Capacity Act.

People received personalised care and support which was in line with their care plan. People, family members and others knew how to make a complaint and they were confident about complaining should they need to. They were confident that their complaint would be listened to and acted upon quickly.

The leadership of the service promoted a positive culture that was person centred and inclusive. People, family members and staff all described the registered manager as supportive and approachable. The management team showed a continued desire to improve on the service and worked closely with other agencies and healthcare professionals in order to do this. Effective systems were in place to check on the quality and safety of the service and improvements were made when required.

More information is in Detailed Findings below

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 11 January 2016)

About the service: Davenham Hall is situated approximately half a mile from Davenham village centre. The main house has 31 single bedrooms and four shared rooms. A separate unit named The Barns, provides care for people living with dementia. This has 27 single bedrooms all with en-suite facilities.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service remained rated Good overall.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

"I have no worries, I feel safe here"

"I always get my medicines when I need them and they never miss"

"The staff are great, I feel they listen to me"

"I have nothing but praise for the staff"

"They are a dedicated staff team"

Our observations of care in the dementia unit found that people were supported in a respectful and dignified manner. The work of staff was centred on the needs of people. Staff were able to create a stimulating and lively environment to which people responded well.

This visit found that people had their needs met through the care planning process and the interventions made by staff in promoting their health. People were safe from harm. The management of medicines promoted the wellbeing of people. We found that the service acted on complaints swiftly and people were protected by an effective and accurate system of record keeping.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. Almost everyone we spoke with liked living there. One person who uses the service said, "I like it here very much. The care is excellent, especially the nursing care. I have nothing but praise"

People who use the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. One person who uses the service said, "The staff are very good." Another said, "The staff are very sympathetic, helpful and cheery."

We found that the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive. The provider had an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people who use the service and others. One family member said, "I think it's brilliant. We can talk to the staff or managers any time."