01603 507 596   Email: headoffice@blackswan.co.uk

The Lodge receives positive thematic review from Care Quality Commission

01/09/2020
Background Image

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have been conducting targeted inspections of over 300 care homes throughout the country to assess their compliance with infection prevention and control protocols – and The Lodge was praised for their hard work. 

Background Image

 

The aim of the inspections was to gain an insight into how care homes have adapted to Covid19 in 2020 and assess their preparedness for a possible second wave of coronavirus.

The overall report on the collection of homes has been published online, and each of the homes received their own individual assessment to gain feedback. You can read the initial findings of the report here with the full report to be published in October. 

Background Image

 

The Lodge was praised for a number of innovative infection prevention and control measures we have put in place since March 2020 – in light of the lockdown and the threat of Coronavirus to our residents, a number of whom are among the highest risk groups. 

They listed our Wavewash machines as an example of good practice, with the machines using lights to let our staff and residents know how long they should be washing their hands. We encourage our staff and residents to use this each time they wash their hands to ensure they are thoroughly washing their hands and wrists for the 20 second time recommended by the CQC and UK government. 

Background Image

 

The inspection took place on August 20th and has now been published on the CQC website, listing our freestanding thermal scanners at entry points, and an electronic blind which will allow our residents to have visits from their family when the weather gets too bad to facilitate outdoor visits. The blind will act as a plastic screen which can be easily cleaned and rolled up between visits to ensure the safety of our staff, residents and their families. 

Managing Director of Black Swan Care Group – Tom Lyons – said: 

“While things have certainly improved across the country since Spring, our whole sector is bracing itself for the second spike that’s expected in the coming months so we’re taking every precaution. Of course, washing your hands is one of the easiest and more effective ways of preventing the spread of germs and viruses so helping people to wash their hands thoroughly enough is crucial.

“We’re proud of the steps we’ve taken to protect our residents and staff from coronavirus and we’re really pleased that these have given the CQC the assurance they were looking for.

“One day, we’d love for families to hug one another as they used to and hopefully that won’t be too far away. But first, we need to look after the health and wellbeing of our residents by doing what we can to protect them from COVID-19.”

The Lodge was also praised for their different visiting options to allow our residents to stay in touch with their loved ones as much as possible.

The Lodge, and all of our other 19 homes throughout East Anglia have implemented outdoor socially distanced visiting; drive-through visits, through the window visits, and virtual visiting using video calls to give everyone the opportunity to see their family. 

The report reads:

“The service had a clear process in place for visitors. Signage on the door alerted people to the current restrictions on visitors and a free standing thermal scanner was in place to check people’s temperature on entry. Sanitising hand gel and masks were provided.

“The provider had installed ‘Wavewash’ timers in areas where staff washed their hands. The timers use lights as a visual aid to count down the time needed to effectively wash hands.

“People were supported to stay in regular contact with their families. The provider had created an easy to read guide for families and friends explaining the different options for visiting including use of the garden, window or drive-through visits and virtual visits through the use of technology.

“The provider had recently installed an electronic blind in a designated area of the lounge to enable people to have indoor visits with relatives in the future. When lowered the blind created a plastic screen between the person and their visitor. After each visit the screen could be cleaned and rolled back up to the ceiling.”

We wanted to share the news of our success in the inspection with the companies who had assisted us in making it happen. Martin Hurworth – co-founder of WaveWash, said: 

“When we created Wavewash during the lockdown in Spring, we knew that it could play a vital role in care homes which do their utmost to protect the vulnerable people they look after.

“Washing your hands is a simple and effective way to prevent the spread of coronavirus, and everyone can do it. We’re delighted that patients and staff at The Lodge have taken to Wavewash so well and we’re really pleased that the CQC has recognised the role it can play”.

To read the full inspection report on The Lodge please click here.  

 

Media enquiries

If you would be interested in covering this story and would like to have a comment from Black Swan Care Group feel free to contact our Head of Marketing and Social Media:

Samantha Bailey – samantha@blackswan.co.uk 

 

For more information, images or interviews from WaveWash, please contact:

David Sykes – Carrington Communications: David@carringtoncommunications.com        01522 581 611 / 07847 826 081

View Our Homes

We have many care homes throughout the East of England, providing high-quality care to our residents. Get in touch with our team today.

Find Out More