- Care home
The Fieldings
Report from 21 May 2024 assessment
Contents
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
There were clear processes to ensure any incidents (like a person falling over) were learnt from and improvements were made. Staff explained that they were kept up to date with any changes that occurred, so they could help keep people safe. There were systems in place, to ensure people received good quality care from external health and social care professionals. The home was clean, and people were protected from the spread of infection. The home was mostly well maintained, we identified a few areas that required refurbishment but there was a maintenance plan in place for this.
This service scored 72 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.
Learning culture
People felt incidents were rare in the care home. They were confident that any incidents that happened would be learnt from.
Staff explained that there were clear processes in place, so they were kept up to date with incidents that happened at the care home. This included handover meetings between staff shifts.
There were clear processes to review incidents and then make improvements. For example, if someone fell then reviews considered what caused the fall and what could be put in place to reduce the risk in future. Staff were provided with opportunities to reflect after incidents, to ensure learning and improvement could occur. Staff meetings allowed staff to reflect on what was working well, and what could be improved at the service.
Safe systems, pathways and transitions
People felt that there were safe pathways between the care home and external health and social care professionals. A person said, “Staff called 111 and followed the advice given. I got much better.”
Staff had good knowledge of which health and social care professionals supported which people. Staff were able to explain when these professionals visited, and what type of support they offered. The manager explained that staff usually accompanied a person to hospital to ensure they received the most effective and seamless care possible.
A visiting professional said there were clear processes to monitor a person’s changing health needs and contact them if needed. They advised that any advice given by them was documented and followed by staff.
Staff kept clear summary documentation on people’s holistic needs. If the person required a hospital admission, the summary document could go with them to the hospital. This meant hospital staff would have clear guidance on how the person liked to be supported. Staff knew where this document was stored and how to ensure hospital staff received it. Where people required external health and social care support, documentation showed that suitable referrals had been made.
Safeguarding
We did not look at Safeguarding during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Involving people to manage risks
We did not look at Involving people to manage risks during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Safe environments
People felt the care home was well maintained. A person said, “My toilet needed securing to the floor and this was done straight away.” Another person said, “it’s well maintained and kept clean. If anything is broken, the repairs are done as soon as possible.”
Staff knew how to monitor the safety of the environment, and where to report any maintenance concerns to. Staff were confident that the building was well maintained to keep people safe. A staff member said, “We put any concerns in the maintenance book and its quickly fixed.” The management team described a clear process for monitoring the safety of the environment. For example, the registered manager documented their regular checks around the building and explained how they passed concerns to the maintenance team to resolve.
The home was safe in the event of a fire. Corridors were clear of any blockages, allowing people to follow easy to read escape routes. Staff had access to fire-fighting equipment. Windows were unable to be opened wide. This safety feature prevents people from falling or climbing out and is in line with guidance from the Health and Social Care Executive. Some areas of the care home required refurbishment. For example, we saw two damaged toilet seats. However, processes were in place to identify these risks and resolve them.
The environment was kept safe by regular checks and maintenance. We saw there had been regular checks to ensure the home was safe in the event of a fire. For example, by checking the alarm systems. Systems were in place to ensure the water quality was maintained to reduce the risk of water-bourne bacteria, such as Legionella.
Safe and effective staffing
We did not look at Safe and effective staffing during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.
Infection prevention and control
People explained that the home was kept clean. They said staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment.
Staff knew what personal protective equipment they should wear and when. They explained they always had enough equipment. This protected people from the spread of infection.
The home was clean and hygienic. We saw that staff wore personal protective equipment (like gloves) as needed. This allowed them to support people in a hygienic way. We saw any dirt or spillages in the home were quickly resolved.
There were clear processes and policies; ensuring the environment was kept clean and hygienic. This protected people from the spread of infection. We saw effective cleaning occurring and staff were guided by clear cleaning schedules. These described what area needed to be cleaned, and when. The manager explained that they regularly walked around the building to ensure it remained clean. They explained their audit had identified some concerns, so they had changed staff processes and improvements had been made.
Medicines optimisation
We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.