Archived: Meadowside

We found the following examples of good practice.

Staff were observed wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and regular training was provided to staff. People said staff wore PPE. Additional rooms had been identified to allow for social distancing when staff were on their break.

The service was clean and hygienic. Cleaning schedules were in place and a revised infection control audit had been implemented. People rooms were clean and we observed housekeeping staff carrying out their duties when we visited.

The provider had acted to minimise risks to people who used the service and staff. Temperatures were taken as people entered the service and visitors were required to wear PPE. An empty bedroom had been adapted into a testing area for staff and visitors. There were several PPE stations and disposal bins to ensure staff followed government guidance in infection control.

Staff had weekly testing and staff were required to self-isolate if they displayed symptoms or tested positive. People who lived at Meadowside also had access to regular testing. If people displayed symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19 they were moved to a dedicated living unit to help avoid other people catching the virus.

Due to a recent outbreak of COVID-19 at the service, people’s families were unable to visit. Window visits had taken place and other contact was made through social media or telephone calls. The registered manager was in the process of planning the reintroduction of visits.

Staff said they had received support throughout the pandemic, and they worked well as a team.

Meadowside is a residential care home, without nursing. At the time of our inspection the service

was providing personal care to 46 people aged 65 and over, some of whom were living with dementia. Meadowside is one adapted building which is split up into seven different units over two floors, each with their own lounge and dining area. The service can support up to 51 people.

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

The service had made improvements around management of medicines and people’s medicines were now audited and recorded correctly by appropriately trained staff.

People told us they felt safe living at Meadowside. People’s medicines were managed well, and robust risk assessments were in place to keep people safe. Staff were knowledgeable and felt supported to recognise and report abuse if they needed to.

Staff adopted safe infection control practices to keep people free from infection. The home was clean and tidy, and staff were aware of current guidance around infection and disease management.

People were cared for by staff who were safely recruited, well trained and very knowledgeable of the people

they supported. People and relatives told us staff were always kind and compassionate, maintained privacy and treated people with upmost dignity and respect.

People said they enjoyed the food. Staff supported each person with care and patience at mealtimes. People had a calm and enjoyable dining experience. People living with dementia were supported in accordance with their care plans and also best practice guidance to ensure food was appetising and appealing to them.

The service and staff went over and above to support people and be innovative with activities and planning people’s care to ensure all their needs were met and that people were prevented from experiencing social isolation. The service had been extremely responsive in seeking out fresh ideas to encourage people to improve their health and well-being. People, relatives and healthcare professionals told us how they felt the management and staff contributed to improving people’s health.

People were continually involved in the assessments of their needs and personalisation of their care plans. Staff ensured they knew people and what people liked and enjoyed which allowed people to profile how they wanted their life to be with desired outcomes and goals.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the

least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported

this practice.

People's views and concerns were listened to, people and relatives used a range of ways to give feedback,

which the service always acted on.

The registered manager had driven the service on since the last inspection. The values identified by the registered manager echoed throughout the service and all staff knew their individual and collective responsibilities. People, relatives and staff were full of praise for the registered manager.

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 15 August 2017). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

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 reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.