Jane House is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to eight adults with autism and/or learning disabilities. Four people lived in the main house and four people lived in self-contained annexes adjacent to the main building. The home was fully occupied at the time of our inspection. The provider had implemented measures to reduce the risk of infection. Staff had access to the personal protective equipment (PPE) they needed for their roles and had received training in its use.
Staff kept the home clean and hygienic. Additional cleaning schedules had been implemented since the beginning of the pandemic, including for high-touch areas such as door handles.
The provider had an appropriate infection prevention and control (IPC) policy. Staff carried out regular IPC audits to ensure standards in this area were monitored effectively.
The provider had taken action to minimise risks to people who used the service and staff. Risk assessments had been carried out to identify and mitigate risks, including for people in vulnerable groups.
The provider had a contingency plan for the service, which had been reviewed in the light of changing Covid regulations.
Staff had accessed weekly Covid testing. If staff returned positive test results, they did not return to work until they had completed an appropriate period of self-isolation.
People who lived at the home also had access to testing and the provider sought their consent to this. The provider had appropriate procedures in place to ensure decisions were made in people’s best interests if they lacked the capacity to make a decision.
If people returned positive test results, staff supported them to self-isolate in their bedrooms. A member of staff was assigned to support each person self-isolating. This meant staff were available to support people in their chosen in-house activities. If people chose to leave their bedrooms, staff reported that they cleaned any communal areas people had used afterwards.
The provider recognised the importance of consistent staffing and support for people due to their communication needs. The staff at Jane House only worked at this service. The registered manager told us the service did not use agency staff.
People’s families were unable to visit the home at the time of this inspection due to national coronavirus restrictions. Staff had supported people to maintain contact with their families through platforms such as FaceTime and WhatsApp video calls.
Staff had supported people to access healthcare treatment if they needed it. Some healthcare appointments had been held via video link but when necessary, such as for dental treatment, people had been supported to attend face-to-face appointments. Any visitors to the home were screened before entering the service, including temperature checks.
The provider had supported staff during the pandemic through the provision of information and guidance, at team meetings and at individual supervisions. Staff had been encouraged to speak up about any anxieties or concerns they had.
We found the following examples of good practice.
The home’s staffing model ensured people received consistent support and minimised the movement of staff in and out of the service. If staff needed to use public transport to travel to and from work, they did so outside peak hours to minimise the risk of infection.
Staff had used resources such as social stories to provide information about Covid-19 to people in an accessible way. This had helped people understand Covid restrictions and the reasons for them.
Further information is in the findings below.