“I think everyone including the managers, staff, cleaners have all worked really well during the pandemic to make sure everyone remains safe and most of all happy. The staff team seem to have pulled together to make this pandemic less daunting and it’s always been a happy place to go with lots of laughs with colleagues and residents despite what’s being going on in the real world” STAFF FEEDBACK

Updates

29/07/2022

We are pleased to update that we continue to fully risk assess social and community opportunities to maximize safe and meaningful experiences. The pandemic continues to impose guidance for safe measures and we ensure that we promote these and also ensure that our residents are not restricted from their preferences, rights and freedom. We regularly speak with local authority and infection control to ensure we comply with guidance but promote residents and staff rights.

01/06/2022

From 1 June health and care staff are no longer required to wear facemasks in non-clinical areas, and patients are not required to wear a facemask unless they are at high risk of infection. However, with the rise of COID-19 cases some providers may follow local guidance to reintroduce the wearing of face coverings in certain settings

11.04.22

After the recent guidance released on 1st April 2022 we are pleased to announce that we have worked on behalf of and with our residents in updating our policy on visiting, testing and pandemic management. We are thrilled to further welcome and anticipate a reduction in restriction as the ‘living with covid’ measures continue to roll out.

24.2.22

The Government has now announced its plan for how people in England should ‘Live with COVID-19’.

From Thursday 24th February, the Government has announced people will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if they test positive for COVID-19.

Sadly we have not as yet had such guidance on how this may apply to care homes so we have implemented a risk based variation to our policy and procedures. This expands the horizon of activities, visiting and safety but has maintained the vigilance of testing and safety measures.

It is our hope that new guidance will be released in due course but we could not allow for Segal Gardens to be ignored so it was necessary to plan a safe and balanced plan of action.

28.1.22

Just an update on the revised planning for visiting which the government has announced. We have liaised with local authority and attended a seminar today. The formal guidance has not yet been released but as always we welcome families and loved ones to contact us to arrange any visiting opportunities. Many thanks for your support.

14.1.22

We maintain a commitment during this period of increased infections across the country to abide by the safest standards, guidance both nationally and locally and working with families and professionals in ensuring Segal Gardens is responsive to the personal to needs of our service users.

We had a Care Quality Commission inspection on 14th January 2022 which highlighted –

‘The service demonstrated a good understanding of when and how to access local Infection
Prevention Control resources (for example local health protection team) when they needed advice
and support.’

20220121152137-Segal-Gardens-Inspection-Report-Summary

Throughout the pandemic we have been committed to the safety and welfare of our residents, staff and service as a whole.

UPDATED November 2021

Social Care Staff Vaccinations

From 12th November 2021 it became compulsory for social care staff to have had their 2 Covid vaccinations. We are pleased to announce that all of our staff made this commitment. This requirement applies to all professionals who are visiting the service.

Family Forum

Our Family Forum is an imperative way for Segal Gardens and families to keep updated on developments such as local infection news, vaccinations, visiting and shared planning as we navigate through the pandemic. We have had recent supportive feedback that states –

‘I would just like to thank Gillian/Damian and staff members for all there help due to the covid lockdown.
You have been brilliant. I am behind you all with the measures that have been put in place by yourselves, which have kept you and residents safe. I am always here if your require any help.‘ Family feedback July 2021.

We continue to work in unison with local infection control and authority in ensuring that we follow guidance and safe measures.

Helping to reduce risk

UPDATED 12th February 2021

Today was a really wonderful day. We have now completed our Covid-19 vaccinations for all residents and staff. It has been a massive challenge and we are beyond thrilled that we have achieved such a target. A quick mention to our staff who have really worked beyond hard in ensuring that the vaccinations went ahead for our residents. It has been a real team effort!

Helpful information

Please watch this information film about the need to ventilate a room in a bid to reduce Covid transmission http://segalgardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/HFS2_FINAL_16-9_Subs.mp4

Visiting during Covid 19

As we all know the pandemic concerns remain and we are seeing an increase in infection rates not only within St Helens but in neighbouring boroughs too. Following our local network meeting with local authority and recent central government guidance we have developed a visiting protocol that we will be implementing and sharing with families with immediate effect and professionals on request. This adaption is sensitive to change based on local and central government advice and management discretion based on service need.

“We would like to express our many thanks to you and all the staff at Segal Gardens for their endeavour in keeping …… and all the residents safe at this dreadfully demanding time. Please convey our best wishes to everybody and look forward to happier times.” Family Feedback October 2020  

“Thank you to Segal Gardens and Angela, for mine and Tom’s window visit to see our Daughter after 6 months lovely to see her face and her smile thank you all involved it’s made our day xx ” Family Feedback September 2020

“I feel during the Covid pandemic the managers have worked extremely hard to protect both staff and residents and the service as a whole. From changes to the rota with shorter working hours and more rest days, providing transport to and from work to keep us safe, ensuring we were all fed, regularly updating families and being available for staff anxieties around the virus offering guidance to us all and keeping the team positive these are just a few of the things from a very long list. The managers are basically working 7 days a week ensuring everyone is safe. They deserve recognition for everything they have done and are still doing today. I would personally like to say a big THANK YOU.” Staff feedback July 2020

Care Quality Commission Covid 19 assessment of our service.

Following an assessment by the Care Quality Commission to review our Covid 19 – Emergency Support Framework (ESF) we wanted to give feedback that our outcome was very positive. The assessment reviewed our response to ‘safe care and treatment’, ‘staffing arrangements’, ‘protection from abuse’, ‘assurance processes and ‘monitoring and risk management’. We hope it is reassuring to know that at this time of great challenge we are striving to ensure that your loved ones, our team and the service in general is priority.

Latest updates of Covid 19 and Segal Gardens

In review of the recent government advice and guidelines into managing and preparing for the Coronavirus pandemic we have decided to maintain our progressive measures to help the isolation of the virus for our residents, staff and service.

As you will be aware the government has continued to promote the restriction of unnecessary social contact. We understand that contact with your loved ones is never unnecessary and do not wish to imply otherwise. But we must consider the importance of giving as much opportunity for the Coronavirus to be restricted access to Segal Gardens and impair the health and welfare of your loved ones and our staff until we are given an absolute assurance from government that it is safe to do so. This is our best interest response to keep your loved ones, our staff and our service safe.

As a result, we must maintain the necessary action of restricting all visitors both family and professionals to Segal Gardens and for residents to have home leave periods. This was part of the government briefing on 31st May 2020 in which the scientific adviser highlighted that care homes are not just about the elderly population but younger adults must be considered. Residents who find social distancing rules difficult to follow must be protected. The general changes from 1st June 2020 are advisory but in a care home setting it is very important that the level of infection is kept very low because it is an accumulation of a number of vulnerable people. The government state this is being looked into by the NHS and until this is released that for care homes it is too early to be changing contact planning.

As the COVID-19 outbreak levels, the care and safety of our residents, relatives and our staff continues to be our priority.

We understand the importance of family contact for our residents, though also appreciate the support we have had from families to implement these measures in order to keep our most vulnerable people safe. Our teams will be encouraging and supporting residents and families to keep in touch using technology.

We accept and will fully support that some families may decide that they would prefer to have their loved one home for a period of time during this outbreak to ensure they have open and available contact. In such cases, we will arrange and do all we can to prepare and support for this to take place. We ask that you arrange this with us so we can ensure that every practical requirement is met.

In the possible consideration that Segal Gardens has a reason of virus outbreak we will take the unprecedented action of restricting all contact and external activities for the duration of time as specified by the government at the time.

We are further mindful that our staff team may inadvertently become infected in their own daily life and whilst they are vigilant it is inevitable that we lose team members for a temporary period whilst they are isolated. In such cases we will endeavour to maintain the same safe, sound and supportive service we always promote but we ask for your understanding that the normal opportunities, activities and experiences that we strive to attain may be temporarily reduced. This is also the case as social areas and opportunities are closed based on their own requirements and guidelines.

We wish to reassure you that as a service we are committed to doing all we can to reduce any impact on your loved ones, our staff and service as a whole. This is a worrying time and situation for us all to be in and due to the nature of the virus it is not clear just how intensive and the duration this will last. It is clearly evident that greater measures are to be taken by government and we are striving to be prepared for these procedures.

General Advice

    If You feel unwell. This is especially important if you have a fever, a cough, shortness of breath or high temperature. Please visit the NHS website for the full list of coronavirus symptoms: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

    You have recently returned from any country on the government’s high-risk list, please avoid all visits until further notice. Check Gov.UK’s list here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-advice-novel-coronavirus

    The most effective way of preventing transmission is to wash your hands with soap and water NHS handwashing advice here: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/

    We also recommend using hand sanitiser with at least a 60% alcohol content

    Please cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze and put used tissues in the bin immediately.

We will continue to monitor all government advice and update our approach in accordance with the latest recommendations.

Thank you for you support