Elston House

Updated 13 November 2020

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

We received information of concern about infection control and prevention measures at this service. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 4 November 2020 and was unannounced.

Updated 13 November 2020

Elston House is a residential care home providing personal care for up to eight younger adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. At the time of our inspection eight people were using the service. The building had been adapted from a large domestic property and consisted of a main building, where six people lived, and a separate annex building in which two people lived.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

We found the following examples of good practice.

¿ The service had successfully found ways to safely support all eight people to be tested for Covid-19. All staff were regularly tested.

¿ Visiting arrangements were controlled and regularly reviewed. The service had a system in place for essential visitors, which included a temperature check, facilities for hand sanitising, and the requirement to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) on entering the home.

¿ People had individual visitor/family contact plans as part of their care plan to make sure their social contact needs continued to be met as far as safely possible.

¿ The provider had ensured information about Covid-19 tests, and the measures they had put in place to support people, had been regularly communicated to people’s relatives.

¿ The provider had reasonable measures in place to reduce the proximity of people, who had tested positive for Covid-19, from those who had tested negative. On occasions when that was not possible, the provider had enhanced cleaning processes in place to reduce the risks.

¿ Detailed information was displayed around the home to remind people how to wash their hands effectively, the importance of social distancing, and why people wear PPE.

¿ Staff wore the necessary PPE, in line with best practice guidance, and had a designated area for putting it on and taking it off. Used PPE was safely disposed of.

¿ Although all rooms in the care home already appeared clean and uncluttered, the provider was in the process of further enhancing their deep cleaning arrangements; as part of their attempts to reduce the potential spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.