A CARE home has been praised for its safety measures and efforts to prevent Covid infection.

An inspection was carried out at Orchid Care Home on Guernsey Lane last month to check the management of medicines and staffing levels.

Manager Dawn Drew said: "I’m delighted to say that we kept Covid-19 out of our care home. We are waiting for our residents to get their vaccination, but I really don’t anticipate that would be much longer.”

She introduced a screen to create a designated visiting room. She added: “It proved to be very effective, so we could continue visiting while absolutely minimising risks. We’re proud to say we don’t have Covid.”

Care Quality Commission inspectors spoke with staff, residents and relatives about their experience.

They reported: “There were sufficient staff with the correct skill mix on duty to support people with their required needs and keep them safe. Medicines were managed safely.

“People using the service felt safe. Staff had received training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and they felt confident in how to report these types of concerns. Risks to people were well managed.

“Individual risks had been considered and incorporated into care plans.”

The report said: “The home was clean and odour free. People were protected from the spread of infection. Staff had access to PPE and had received training in how and when to use it effectively. We observed staff used PPE appropriately

"We were assured that the provider was making sure infection outbreaks can be effectively prevented or managed.”

Staff have been vaccinated to protect them from catching the virus and spreading it to residents.

Dawn, who started at Orchid in November, said: “When I arrived, there was a very robust policy and protocol that had been added.

“Everything was here, it was just more a case of making sure the right protocols were being followed, so we can protect the residents as best as we can, given the current situation for all of us."

Zeta Zeta, the operations director at Angel Care Ltd, the firm that operates the facility, said: “When I visit the home, which I do regularly, I speak to residents, and their relatives and they are really happy with what we are doing.

“Our surveys that we send out show that people are happy and that we are responsive to people’s needs."

“We are thriving for outstanding, and we’ve got so many good projects that are on the go at the moment, that we are really excited about.”

The overall rating for the service has not changed following the targeted inspection and remains good.