Archived: Shinfield View Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

• The registered manager had worked to minimise the impact of the pandemic on people’s wellbeing. The service had a mental health first aider who spent time with those who required support with their mental health. People self-isolating were supported both by staff on site and by those staff who were working from home, who rung them and contacted them using electronic communication methods. This provided people with additional social stimulation and interaction.

• The service had installed a wooden ‘lodge’ in the garden, to facilitate people seeing their relatives safely during the pandemic, which had been used. It had a perspex screen and a hearing loop and intercom to enable people to hear their loved ones. When visits were concluded, the lodge was fitted with a self-cleaning mechanism which cleaned and ventilated it.

• Staff completed regular hand washing audits. The service had an ultra-violet (UV) light which they used with staff to assess the effectiveness of their hand washing.

• Advice had been sought and acted upon following the recent outbreak, in order to identify any changes which could be made. For example, a perspex screen had been erected in reception and stickers placed on the floor to indicate two metres social distancing.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Shinfield View Care Home is a care home without nursing providing personal care to 64 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 66 people some of whom may have a physical disability, sensory impairment and/or be living with dementia. The accommodation is spread over two floors and all bedrooms have en suite facilities.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The registered manager and staff showed exceptional skill and innovative thinking when looking for ways to reduce risks for people, whilst encouraging and enabling maximum independence. People were protected from the risks of abuse and felt safe living at the service. Staff recruitment and staffing levels supported people to stay safe while going about their daily lives. Medicines were handled correctly and safely. People were fully involved, and the provider was open and transparent when things went wrong.

People received highly effective care and support from staff who knew them well and were well trained. People's rights to make their own decisions were protected. Staff worked well together for the benefit of people and were completely focused on meeting the personal, health and social care needs of people living at the service. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible, the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were treated with exceptional care and kindness. They and their relatives thought very highly of the staff and praised their caring, thoughtfulness and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty for them. The registered manager and staff had created lasting and meaningful relationships with people. Those relationships enabled the service to provide excellent care, which achieved highly positive outcomes for people. The management and culture of the service demonstrated a caring approach and staff were also valued and cared about. People were treated with the utmost respect and their dignity was continually upheld. This was confirmed by people and their relatives who provided exceptional feedback. People's diverse needs were identified and met and their right to confidentiality was always protected.

People received a truly person-centred service which promoted excellent outcomes for them and which included supporting their independence and having control over their lives. People received care and support that was personalised to meet their individual needs. Staff worked extremely well together for the benefit of people practising the ethos of the service: to focus on the needs of the people and their wellbeing. One community professional commented, "Shinfield View provides care that is very much person centred. Individual's needs and preferences are always taken into account. Providing choice is of paramount importance in everything, from what and where to eat, to what kind of activities they would like to participate in."

People benefitted from staff who were extremely happy in their work and felt well managed and very supported. The registered manager and staff team were highly motivated and proud of the service they delivered to people. There were consistently high levels of engagement with people using the service, families and other professionals. There was a strong commitment to ensure the service was inclusive and that people had the opportunity to extend their lives in the community. One community professional told us, "In my opinion the service delivers top quality care. I have worked in my field for many years and in many care homes. I would state without hesitation that Shinfield View delivers the best quality care I have experienced anywhere, in every aspect, from the food, to the quality and variety of the activities, the access to a range of professional services, the physical environment of the building, its cleanliness and attractiveness and the kind-hearted staff who work there."

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 27 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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

Shinfield View Care Home is a care home without nursing that provides a service to up to 66 people, some of whom may be living with dementia. They are also able to provide a service to people with physical disabilities and/or a sensory impairment. The accommodation is arranged over two floors, with lift access to each floor. At the time of our inspection there were 41 people living at the service.

The service had a registered manager as required. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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. The registered manager was not available during this inspection. The nominated individual, operations manager, deputy manager and administrator assisted us during this inspection.

People felt safe living at the service and were protected from risks relating to their care and welfare. Staff knew how to recognise the signs of abuse and were aware of actions to take if they felt people were at risk. Some concerns were raised with the service and local safeguarding team in February 2017. The provider took prompt and appropriate action to address the concerns and implemented new systems to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Premises risk assessments and health and safety audits were carried out and issues identified were dealt with quickly. Furniture and fixtures were of good quality and well maintained.

People were protected by the provider's recruitment processes. Safe recruitment practices were followed before staff were employed to work with people. Required checks were made to ensure staff were of good character and suitable for their role.

People received care and support from staff who knew them well. Staff training was up to date and staff felt they received the training they needed to carry out their work safely and effectively. People received support that was individualised to their personal preferences and needs. Their needs were monitored and care plans were reviewed monthly or as changes occurred.

People received effective health care and support. Medicines were stored and handled correctly and safely. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Meals were nutritious and varied. People told us they enjoyed the meals at the service and confirmed they were given choices. People told us how they appreciated the quality and choice of food as well as the number and variety of activities available to them.

People were treated with care and kindness. People's wellbeing was protected and all interactions observed between staff and people living at the service were respectful and friendly. People confirmed staff respected their privacy and dignity.

People were aware of how to make a complaint. They told us they could approach management and staff with any concerns and felt they would listen and take action. They benefitted from living at a service that had an open and friendly culture and from a staff team that were happy in their work.

People living at the service felt there was a good atmosphere and thought they were provided with a comfortable and homely environment to live in. Staff felt the service was well-managed. They told us the management team were open with them and communicated what was happening at the service and with the people living there.