The Yews Residential Care Home

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – This key question has been rated good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm. Systems were in place to manage safeguarding incidents and staff were trained in safeguarding people from abuse. This ensured people were secure and shielded from preventable dangers. Risk assessments were in place to lower the risk of harm for individuals. Care plans provided staff with an overview of people's care needs. Sufficiently trained staff were deployed and provided with supervision and training.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

People told us when they had raised concerns, these had been addressed.

The acting manager told us about the systems they had in place to ensure learning took place when things went wrong and how this was shared with the wider staff team.

Policies and procedures were in place and followed by staff.

People told us they were involved in planning their care. One person said, “I have a care plan. I can do most things for myself, and the staff know that, but I still have a care plan. People told us they felt staff listened and staff supported them when needed. They confirmed they had access to healthcare services when needed.

The acting manager told us about the systems they had in place and the positive relationships they had built with external professionals to ensure people received care and support in response to their needs.

External professionals confirmed they had no concerns regarding the service provided to people.

Care was delivered in line with people’s care plans and risk assessments.

People told us they felt safe living at The Yews. One person told us, “The staff are all friendly and helpful.” One person’s visitor said, “The staff are lovely, my friend likes them all and they tell me they feel very safe here.”

The acting manager told us how they managed safeguarding concerns, this was in line with best practice and involved notifying other agencies.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect throughout our visit. People were supported to take part in activities and staff spent time talking with people.

Safeguarding incidents were reported, recorded and investigated. Accidents and incidents were analysed in order for the management team to identify any emerging themes or patterns and make changes as needed. Risks which affected people's daily lives were documented and known by staff. The management team monitored and regularly assessed these risks and took action as required to ensure people received care in a safe and consistent way.

People told us when they had raised concerns, these had been dealt with. People confirmed they were involved in their care planning and that staff listened and supported them when required.

The acting manager told us about how they ensured people, and their relatives were involved in planning people’s care and keeping them up to date with any changes.

We saw staff promoted people’s independence and attend to people promptly when they needed assistance.

Risks to people were assessed, and measures were in place to reduce risk. This ensured people received safe and consistent care.

People told us they felt safe living at The Yews and confirmed the environment was safe. One person said, “Everywhere is safe to walk around, I don’t have any problems.”

The acting manager told us about the systems they had in place to ensure regular checks of the environment and equipment used were in place.

The equipment was serviced and maintained to ensure it remained safe for people to use. The environment was clean and maintained to a reasonable standard.

Risks relating to the environment had been considered and mitigated. Where environmental improvements were needed, a refurbishment plan was in place.

People confirmed there were enough staff available when they needed them. People told us staff knew them well. One person said, “The staff have been fantastic to me, I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

The acting manager monitored staffing levels and ensured there was a satisfactory skill mix available to support people.

We observed enough staff to be available when people needed support, this included mealtimes which ensured people did not have to wait for assistance when required.

The provider operated safe recruitment processes. This included undertaking appropriate checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and obtaining suitable references. DBS checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the Police National Computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions.

People told us the home was kept clean. One person’s visitor told us, “The home is kept very clean.”

The management team regularly carried out audits to identify and action any areas of concern.

The home was maintained to a good standard.

The management team regularly carried out audits to identify and action any areas of concern.

People were supported to take their medicines in a safe way by trained staff. The acting manager told us how they ensured medicines were safely managed, this involved staff training, competency checks and audits.

Medicines were administered safely, and staff followed the policies and procedures in place.