25 February 2021
During an inspection looking at part of the service
We found the following examples of good practice.
There had been an outbreak of Covid-19 at the service. During this time the registered manager had communicated with people, staff and families regularly to ensure everyone understood the measures put in place to help keep people safe.
All areas of the service were clean and clutter free. Effective cleaning routines had been put in place to ensure infection control risks were minimised and people were kept safe. There were supplies of anti-bacterial wipes around the service for staff to use to clean surfaces and bathrooms, after each use, in addition to the increased cleaning routines. There were posters around the service to prompt and remind staff about the infection control procedures in place.
Staff put on and took off their uniforms in a designated room, close to where they entered the building, and uniforms were laundered at the service. This helped to reduce the risk of infection because staff did not enter areas of the home, where people lived, until appropriate infection control measures were in place.
Staff had completed online infection prevention and control and Covid-19 training. Additional PPE had been provided for staff, such as visors, to use during the outbreak. The service had maintained good stocks of PPE and the registered manager worked with care and domestic staff teams to ensure infection prevention and control measures were followed.
The registered manager had been well supported by the organisation. At the start of the outbreak a large proportion of the staff team were unable to work. Senior management arranged for dedicated agency staff to cover shifts. Care staff from other Cornwall Care services were allocated to specifically work at this service, to reduce the risk of cross infection. Management and administration staff from across Cornwall Care were re-deployed to cover other roles such as housekeeping. Some staff were anxious about returning home to their families, while working during the outbreak, and accommodation was provided for them by means of a motorhome in the grounds of the service.
The design of the service had enabled staff to create zones, where people who were Covid positive were cared for in designated areas, to prevent the risk of the virus spreading to others. Some people found it difficult to maintain social distancing and the service had created areas where they could walk around without meeting other people.
The registered manager had worked closely with external healthcare professionals to enable people to have access to the appropriate health care and equipment such as hospital beds and oxygen. There were daily calls with the GP where staff reported people’s daily observation results, such as oxygen levels. This meant, for people who were unwell with Covid, the right care could be provided in a timely manner.
At the time of the inspection the service was closed to visitors. However, staff helped people to stay in touch with family and friends through phone and video calls. The registered manager was in discussion with people and their families about resuming visiting, from 8 March, in line with recent government guidance.
The provider had reviewed the infection control policy in response to the pandemic. Specific Covid-19 policies had also been developed to provide guidance for staff about how to respond to the pandemic and the outbreak. These policies were kept under continuous review as changes to government guidance was published.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.