Hadrian Park Follow Up Enter & View Report - February 2020

Summary

In 2018, Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees conducted 28 Enter and View visits to care homes across the Borough. The purpose of this work was to determine what it’s like to live in a care home in Stockton-on-Tees.

Following this a number of recommendations were made to care home managers and providers to help improve the residents, family members and staff experience of the care and service provided.

One of the reasons for this visit, as discussed with managers of the service, was to highlight the improvements that they told us had been put in place since our previous Enter & View visit in 2018. 

Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees visited the home on the 20th February to conduct the follow up Enter and View and to speak to staff, residents and relatives, gathering feedback via surveys, one-to-one discussions and from observations made on the day.

During the follow up visit, Healthwatch Stockton-on-Tees spoke to eight residents, eight members of staff and received feedback from seven relatives of residents living in Allington House. Some of these responses were received on the day of the visit, others were returned by post.

Conclusion

This was a very positive visit and generally high levels of satisfaction with the service were expressed by residents and relatives. A new manager has taken over at the home since out last visit in 2018, although he was previously employed there as the deputy manager and has continued to take the home forward.

Most staff were generally very positive about the service provided and felt well supported in their roles. There were some exceptions to this however, and a couple of staff although positive about the service provided, did not feel as quite as well supported by the manager.

• The environment was clean and bright throughout, there was a good atmosphere and the relationship between staff and residents appeared to be positive. The home is split into three separate units, one of which, The Chester’s Unit, is specifically for residents living with more advanced dementia. A host of dementia friendly features were observed and it was good to hear and observe that residents from this Unit were able to take advantage of facilities and activities taking place, across the home. The new café area, and the Hadrian’s Arms pub are welcome additions to the facilities provided and appeared to be very popular with residents.
• Although staff told us that they worked well as a team, some of those we spoke to felt that there were times when care could be rushed and that if short staffed they could be ‘run off their feet’, however they confirmed that the needs of residents were their number one priority. The recent move towards the introduction of the
  e-mar system means that the time taken to administer medication across the home should be significantly improved.
• A range of activities take place across the home, and it was good to observe a number of residents enjoying an exercise to music class at the time of our visit. Residents are provided with opportunities to enjoy activities in the community, with a weekly visit to the local pub for lunch and trips to dementia friendly screenings at the cinema. Although there are supposed to be three lifestyle co-ordinators one post is currently vacant. This may, at least in part, have some impact on the ability of staff to provide more one-to-one stimulation for residents – as highlighted by some staff and relatives. We understand there are plans to recruit another staff member to this role as soon as possible.
• Staff training appeared to be seen as a priority area within the home. As well as mandatory training several staff told us that they recently had training with regard to LGBTQ+ issues from a local charity, Hart Gables, which had been very informative. Other staff said they had recently received training with regard to residents maintaining good oral hygiene at The University Hospital of North Tees.
• The home appears to be proactive about gathering resident and relative feedback, and hold regular meetings where residents and relatives can share their views. Internal surveys also take place and a comments box is located in the entrance to the home, as well as a ‘wishing tree’ where people can hang their ideas.
   

To read the Care Quality Commission inspection report on Hadrian Park, please click HERE.