South Park Residential 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 means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last inspection we rated this key question good. At this assessment, the rating has remained good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

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.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

People were encouraged and supported to raise safety concerns with the provider. The registered manager and staff understood the importance of reporting safety concerns and learning lessons when things went wrong.

Systems were in place to support staff to report and record safety concerns and events when these arose. The registered manager investigated safety concerns and events and used the learning from these to support staff to continually improve their practice, reduce risk and keep people safe.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care.

Information was obtained from people, and others involved in their care, about people’s individual needs and risks they might face. This was used to develop individualised care and risk management plans to ensure people received safe and appropriate care and support from the moment they moved into the care home.

The provider worked with people and external health and social care partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. Staff concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately.

Managers and staff understood how to safeguard people. They knew how to recognise and report abuse and were able to articulate how they would spot signs if people were at risk of abuse or harm. A member of staff told us, “I would tell the manager [registered] immediately if anyone was being abused at the care home and they would let the owner, the local authority safeguarding team and the CQC know what had happened.” People told us they felt safe living at this care home. Managers worked proactively with the relevant external agencies, when a concern was raised, and took appropriate action to safeguard people from further risk, when this was required.

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff understood people’s capacity to make decisions about the care and support they received. Managers and staff had received up to date safeguarding, mental capacity and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) training.

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

Staff ensured potential risks people might face were mitigated, so that people remained safe when taking part in activities and events of their choice. People moved freely around the care home and spent their time as they wished, with no unnecessary restrictions. Staff were aware of where people were and remained present and available in case people required their assistance. People’s care records contained up to date, sufficiently detailed and accurate information, which ensured staff had access to all the guidance they needed to prevent or appropriately manage identified potential risks people might face and to keep them safe. A staff member told us, “We know how to keep people safe because we’ve received all the relevant training, such as how to prevent falls and pressure wounds.” Systems were in place to ensure risks to people were continually assessed, monitored and reviewed.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

The provider had made improvements since our last assessment and was no longer in breach of regulations relating to fire safety and the environment. Fire safety issues identified by us and the London Fire Brigade [LFB] had now been addressed. The LFB confirmed they were satisfied with the providers current fire safety arrangements following a recent follow up fire inspection. We saw new fire resistant doors has been installed throughout the care home which now closed into their frames automatically when the fire alarm was activated. Fire safety systems and equipment were now appropriately maintained and serviced at regular intervals. The provider also had up to date fire risk assessments in place for the building and personal emergency evacuation plans in place for everyone who lived at the care home. Staff told us their fire safety training had been refreshed in the last 12 months and they demonstrated good awareness of their fire safety roles and responsibilities.

The physical layout of the premises had also been improved. All the bedrooms were now single occupancy, which meant no one living at the care home had to share a bedroom. The entire interior of the building had been completed refurbished and redecorated, including peoples’ bedrooms, and new units fitted in the kitchen. An external care professional told us, “Since [name of new owner] took over the care home a year ago they have continued to make steady progress to improve the décor of the place and make it a more comfortable and safer place to live." In addition, as discussed with the provider at their last assessment, action had been taken to make the home dementia friendly including, bedroom doors painted contrasting colours, easy to understand pictorial signage displayed throughout the home, and large retro wall murals hung up.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs. The provider operated safe recruitment practices and only suitable staff were employed to work at the care home. Staffing levels matched the staff duty rota on the day of our site visit. Staff were visibly present throughout this assessment and were quick to respond to people’s questions and requests for support. For example, we saw several instances of staff responding promptly to people who had activated their call bell alarm from their bedroom and addressing any queries people raised with them. Staff were also vigilant when people were moving around the care home. People told us the care home was adequately staffed. A relative said, “I do feel there is enough staff to care for my [family member] and all the people who live at the care home.” An external care professional added, “During my visits, I have observed the care home is adequately staffed, ensuring residents receive the necessary care and support they need.” Staff were well-trained to meet people’s individual needs, in line with their choices and preferences and encouraged to continually improve in their role. Staff received a mixture of e-learning and in-person practical and theoretical training, which was routinely refreshed as frequently as staff required it including, competency-based assessments. A member of staff told us, “The new registered manager] is really ‘hot’ on training and makes sure we attend all the training we need to do the best job we can looking after everyone who lives at the care home.” An external care professional added, “The service recently employed an external trainer to teach staff about fire prevention, dysphagia and dementia care awareness.” Staff had ongoing opportunities to reflect on their working practices.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. People were supported to live in a clean, hygienic environment.

Staff had received relevant infection control and food hygiene training, which meant they knew the processes to follow to minimise the risk and spread of infection. Staff had access to resources and equipment to help them reduce infection risks. People told us staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment [PPE] when they supported them with any personal care. A relative told us, “The care home is always very clean whenever I visit.” An external care professional added, “During my visits, I have observed that staff wear appropriate PPE and the home is always kept clean, ensuring compliance with infection control protocols.” The provider’s infection prevention and control policy was current and reflected national guidance.

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences.

Medicines systems were well-organised and safely managed. Medicines stocks, balances and records showed people consistently received their prescribed medicines as and when they should. People confirmed they received their medicines as they were prescribed. An external care professional told us, “I have conducted a medicines audit at the home, trained staff to manage medicines safely and observed their medicines practice, which as a qualified pharmacist I can confirm is safely managed.”

Care plans included detailed guidance for staff about how people needed and preferred their medicines to be administered. Staff received relevant training and their competency to continue managing medicines safely was routinely assessed. This meant they were clear about their roles and responsibilities in relation to the safe management and administration of medicines. There were regular audits of medicines at the service. This included regular checks of staff’s practice to ensure they remained competent to administer and manage peoples prescribed medicines safely.