Archived: Parkside

We found the following examples of good practice.

The provider had good procedures for preventing visitors from catching or spreading infection. End of life visits had taken place so that a family member could sit with their relative. New 'hand-hold' visits were well underway with relatives being able to visit after taking a Covid-19 test and staff provided them with PPE.

The staff could support people to access Face time or Skype to contact families and friends. Families could talk with staff by phone. Consultations with health care professionals were done virtually and the staff told us the community nurses visited and were very supported to them and to people in the home. Staff told us they had time to support people and to provide suitable activities and entertainments. This included virtual tours and DVDs of days gone by. Staff and people in the home were looking at ways to improve the outside spaces.

The staff team had supported people to isolate during the outbreak of Covid-19 and people had understood the reasons for isolating. People had now recovered from the virus. One person was isolating as they had returned from a hospital stay. Good arrangements were in place so that people kept a safe distance in shared areas. People living with dementia were guided and supported to socially distance as much as possible. There had been no admissions to the home for some time, but any new admission would be after a negative test result and people would be supported to isolate in their rooms for the recommended period of time.

The staff and the people who lived in the home had been tested routinely. Those who had a negative test continued to be tested. Staff and service users had all received the Covid -19 vaccine. In some instances they had received a second vaccine.

The home was very clean and hygienic. The staff followed national and local guidance during the outbreak and rigorous systems were in place to ensure good levels of hygiene. There were cleaning schedules and other systems to ensure good infection prevention and control measures. Staff understood how to use and dispose of personal protective equipment.

We met with staff who were very positive about their work and told us the welfare of people in the home was very important to them. They acknowledged the trauma of dealing with an outbreak but said that they worked well as a team and could talk to management and to each other. Arrangements had been put in place to ensure the staff could return to work safely. For example, some staff did not deliver direct care because they were in a high risk category. Staff told us that the past year had been difficult but they had tried their best to be positive because "We are here for the residents and their care is the most important thing." Staff told us they could access confidential counselling if they were experiencing difficulties. Good risk management was in place for service users and staff from ethnic minorities or who had underlying issues that would reduce their risk of serious illness.

Parkside is a residential care home that can provide personal care and accommodation for up to 31 people across three units. Each unit had separate adapted facilities and all bedrooms were for single use. The majority had wash-hand basin with a few having ensuite facilities. Bathrooms were adapted for use of people with limited mobility. The majority of people had support needs associated with old age. Two of the units specialised in providing care to people living with dementia. There were 23 people living in the home when we inspected.

People’s experience of using this service:

People continued to receive a consistently good service and felt safe with the support they received from the staff. One person told us, “I've never had any worries at all, and I trust the staff completely. The support I get is first rate.”

People’s individual needs and preferences were known and understood by staff which meant that they received a person-centred service. Staff knew people well and were in sufficient numbers to make sure people received safe care that also promoted their independence.

Staff were caring and treated people with dignity and respect and ensured people's privacy was maintained particularly when being supported with their personal care needs.

People received their medicines safely and medicines that were prescribed on an ‘as required’ basis were given safely. Support was provided which ensured people received food and drink when they needed this.

Healthcare professionals praised the staff team’s diligence in monitoring people’s healthcare and working together in partnership with them to promote people’s health and well-being.

A stable staff team had the skills and knowledge to meet people's needs. There was a rigorous programme of training and staff supervision that made sure staff were up to date with the latest guidance and were competent to carry out their roles.

People were supported to be involved in decisions about their care and staff sought appropriate consent and asked people what help they needed. People and staff felt they were listened to and that their ideas and any concerns they may have were addressed.

The service was well-led by a dedicated management team who demonstrated compassion and commitment to the needs of the people living in the home, as well as the staff who worked for them. The provider had well-developed auditing systems in place to check the quality of the service.

More information is in the Detailed Findings below.

Rating at last inspection: Good (4 August 2016).

Why we inspected: We inspected the service as part of our inspection schedule methodology for ‘Good’ rated services.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor as part of the re-inspection programme for a Good service. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

Parkside is owned by Cumbria County Council and is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 31 older people some of whom may be living with dementia. There were 29 people living in the home on the day of our inspection.

The home is situated close to the centre of Maryport and the local amenities. There are safe and well maintained garden areas.

There is a passenger lift to assist people to access the first floor of the home and there are appropriate bathrooms and toilets close to all the areas used by people who live in Parkside.

There was a registered manager in post on the day of our inspection visit.

A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they were happy living in Parkside and that they ‘felt very safe’. Relatives told us they were very happy with the care provided.

People were protected by staff who knew how to keep them safe and managed individual risks well. Staffing levels were appropriate which meant there were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and support their independence. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Staff had been recruited following a thorough recruitment process and they were clear about their responsibility to promptly report any concerns or safeguarding issues.

We saw that, throughout our visit, staff treated people with respect and preserved their dignity. This did not mean staff did not have time for a laugh and joke with people and one person said, “I really enjoy having a good laugh with the lassies”.

The registered manager provided details of the staff training plan that evidenced staff training was up to date. Staff confirmed they received training appropriate to their roles within the staff team.

People had access to external health care services which ensured their health care needs were met. Staff had completed training in safe handling of medicines and the medicines administration records were up to date.

People were provided with sufficient food and drink in order to maintain good levels of nutrition and hydration. People told us “We have a choice of meals and if there is anything we don’t like we can choose something else” and “The food is excellent and all home cooked”. Dietary needs and nutrition were well managed

People had their care and support needs assessed and kept under review. Staff responded quickly when people’s needs changed, which helped to ensured their individual needs were appropriately met.

Health care needs were met through good working relationships with external health care professionals. Health and social care professionals were positive about the care and support delivered. The registered manager provided us with evidence to show that the staff team worked well with other professionals.

The management and staff at the home worked well with external agencies and services to make sure people received care in a consistent way.

People’s concerns and complaints were investigated, responded to promptly and used to improve the quality of the service.

There was an appropriate internal quality audit system in place to monitor the quality of the service provided.

The home was managed by a registered manager who was experienced and qualified to run the service. Staff felt well supported by a registered manager who promoted strong values and a person centred culture. Staff said they were pleased to work for such a good service and were supported in understanding the values of the organisation.