About the serviceAvon Valley Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 78 people. At the time of the inspection there were 59 people living at the home. The home is purpose built and just over two years old. The home has three floors. There were communal lounges and dining areas. People also have access to a garden area.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
People were not always protected by the homes infection control policy and procedures. Improvements were required to help ensure people were protected from the risk of infection. Staff were not wearing face masks safely and the appropriate guidance had not been followed. Monitoring the quality of the home was therefore not always effective.
Systems were in place to protect people from the risk of abuse. Risk assessments had been carried out to identify risks. These included information about how to mitigate those risks. Steps had been taken to help ensure the physical environment was safe. There were enough staff working at the home to meet people's needs. The provider had robust staff recruitment practices in place. Medicines were managed safely. Accidents and incidents were reviewed to see if any lessons could be learnt from them.
Assessments were carried out to determine people's needs prior to admission to the home. Staff were supported through training and supervision to gain knowledge and skills to help them in their role. People were supported to eat a balanced diet and were able to choose what they ate. The premises were clean and well maintained. People had access to health care professionals.
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 home supported this practice.
People were supported by staff who knew them well. People's dignity and privacy was respected, and staff understood the importance of maintaining people's independence. There were a range of activities available which were personalised to people's interests.
People, their relatives and staff told us the home was managed well. Staff enjoyed working at the home. The home worked in partnership with other organisations to provide safe, effective and consistent care. People were treated as individuals and their diversity was respected. People's care was tailored to their needs and preferences and staff knew people well. People's views and opinions of the home were sought and acted on. The registered manager promoted an open culture in relation to accidents and incidents.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The service was registered with us on 11 July 2019 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection to check whether the provider was meeting legal requirements and regulations, and to provide a rating for the service as directed by the Care Act 2014
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. 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.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified breaches in relation to the services response to infection control measures, and good governance. This meant that improvements were required.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.