Amersham: Pratt House care home 'requires improvement'

CQC inspectors found some aspects of the service at Pratt House, part of the Abbeyfield group, “were not always safe” and there was an “increased risk that people could be harmed”.

At a previous inspection, inspectors noted the Quill Hall Lane care home, had “failed to ensure risks to people were assessed and managed”. They found at their latest inspection in May that improvements had been made but the care home was still in “continued breach of regulation 12 (safe care and treatment) [of the Health and Social Care Act 2008] and risks to people were not always mitigated”.

A resident with a pressure wound was reportedly not repositioned in bed at the frequency outlined by the district nurse, with inspectors noting: “Whilst the handover records indicated staff were informed, the risk assessment was not updated to reflect the increased risks.”

In another instance, a person had left the home unsupervised and was supported to come back by staff, but this was not recorded as an incident and there was “no risk assessment in place to outline how the risk of leaving the home unsupervised was to be managed,” inspectors said.

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The CQC report did note that the care home had responded straight after the inspection to confirm action had been taken to alleviate these, and other risks.

The inspection revealed the home was clean and free from odour, but inspectors were “not fully assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely”.

They wrote in the report: “Staff had access to sufficient supplies of PPE. During the inspection we observed the kitchen staff were not wearing masks.

“The registered manager told us the two staff members were in a bubble together and therefore the risks to each other were minimised, but no exemptions or risk assessments were in place.

“This practice did not mitigate the risk to other staff who frequented the kitchen and was not in line with government guidance.

“The registered manager confirmed after the inspection they had reviewed the decision and both kitchen staff were now wearing masks.”

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Inspectors also noted they were “not fully assured” the care home was meeting shielding and social distancing rules after two people were seen seated at a table directly opposite each other at lunchtime and there was no social distancing signage seen in the communal areas of the home, with the furniture also not arranged to promote social distancing.

However, people using the service and their relatives told inspectors they were happy with the care and support provided, with one relative saying: “Pratt House is exceptionally warm, friendly and professional. I honestly don't think they could do more than they do.

“Thank you to all Pratt House staff, your care and commitment for your residents is outstanding, exemplary and we couldn’t do without you all.”

And another commented: “I feel that the home offers a high standard of care and residents are kept clean, comfortable and entertained/engaged. I have only seen the staff acting kindly.”

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Relatives also praised the manager and her team for the measures in place to mitigate the Covid-19 outbreak, with one saying: “Proactive response to the pandemic and [have] done a fantastic job of keeping people safe.”

People living there were also supported to have “maximum choice” and control of their lives by staff, who were found to have supported them in the “least restrictive way possible and in their best interest”.

Inspectors found staff to have positive relationships with the people they supported and their relatives, with sufficient staffing levels maintained and people supported by a consistent team.

The full report can be found at www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-137749925/reports.