Prospect House

Prospect House is a residential care home which provides personal care to older people and people living with dementia. The service provides support to up to 33 people. At the time of our inspection there were 31 people using the service.

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

People received the care they needed, when they needed it. There were enough staff on shift to meet people’s needs in a timely manner. People felt safe and risks to people were assessed and managed well. Medicines were managed safely and there were systems in place to protect people from the spread of infections.

People and their relatives were happy with the care they received. Staff knew people well and provided person-centred care, according to people’s preferences. Staff were kind and caring and had a positive, friendly rapport with people using the service. 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 needs were assessed and kept under regular review. People were supported by staff who received training to ensure they had the right knowledge and skills to support people effectively. All staff felt well supported and were regularly supervised to ensure they completed their roles effectively. Staff supported people to maintain their health and they sought timely advice from health professionals, when necessary.

People, their relatives and staff said they would not hesitate to raise any concerns with the registered manager. The provider had a suitable system in place to manage and act on any complaints.

The service had a friendly, welcoming culture. Staff morale was positive, and they all enjoyed their jobs. The service was managed by an experienced registered manager who coordinated the service well. There were suitable systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the care provided. The service was clean, and people had access to facilities and any equipment they needed.

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 the service under the previous provider was good (published on 7 March 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the key question of ‘is the service safe?’. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Clear guidance was available about visiting procedures. Well-stocked and organised personal protective equipment (PPE) stations were in the foyer and in other entrances which were used for exceptional visits, where people may be at end of life. A warm and inviting visiting pod was available for pre-bookable timetabled visits. Thorough cleaning was undertaken between visits. Regular phone calls were encouraged and promoted between people and their loved ones, as well as the use of alternative technology such as Facetime.

Staff took individual breaks to avoid cross-contamination. Staff worked in clearly defined zones during the recent Covid-19 outbreak. Additional cleaning of touch points had been implemented. Cleaning was recorded and regular checks against cleaning schedules was undertaken. Contaminated laundry was washed separately to the usual laundry.

People were supported to self-isolate in their rooms when required. The impact of this on people’s mental health was recognised and activities to alleviate this took place, where possible. The garden was used in good weather.

The registered manager had devised a form for staff to complete when people were admitted to the home. This ensured there was a clear process for admission, testing and self-isolation which staff could refer to. It contained a reminder for staff about Covid-19 symptoms; these were checked for and recorded, and observations undertaken where necessary.

All staff had received additional training about infection prevention and control (IPC). The home had been identified to take part in a new training pilot developed by the local IPC nurse. Handouts were readily available for staff and posters were displayed in discrete areas throughout the home as reminders for staff about IPC processes. The home had good stocks of PPE.