At brighterkind friendly, caring teams are ready to welcome new residents and provide them with wonderful care and support.
We want to offer our reassurance to families about moving a loved one into a care home during the pandemic.
Safety Assured
Proactive Infection Control
Hand Hygiene
Safe Essential Visits
PPE Availability and Use
Robust Cleaning
Proactive Infection Control
We are committed to the wellbeing of our residents and never forget how susceptible they can be to infection.
We take a dynamic, risk-based approach in response to any outbreak at a home or within the local community where they are based, working with the relevant local authorities on latest guidance and ensuring proactive communication for all involved.
Over the last few months, we have focused time, investment and energy on an enhanced approach to housekeeping and cleanliness. This long-term approach aims to lower the risk of any virus in our homes and has, and continues to be, a whole team effort to ensure a consistently clean place for all to live, work and visit.
The dedicated Infection Prevention & Control Champion in each home has completed an enhanced training course and has delivered short, informative briefings to all team members in their home. We are further investing for the long term by providing new equipment and shortly each home will receive a new ATP testing kit, which swabs for bacterial presence and will allow team members to measure the levels of cleanliness being achieved as part of an accurate and reliable audit process.
Hand Hygiene
Handwashing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infection and we've made significant investment to encourage increased hand hygiene in line with government advice.
Permanent hand sanitiser stations are in place across all care homes and hold enough sanitiser for 10,000 uses, providing long-lasting protection without the need for constant refilling. They're a key part of our infection control strategy and help to protect the safety of those living and working in our homes, as well as visitors.
Safe Essential Visits
We ensure that visits only take place from essential external professionals when absolutely safe to do so. They are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Home Manager and are subject to a number of conditions.
We are taking steps to ensure that where we have to use agency staff, they do not work in other homes too. Any external team or contractor visits are strictly only when essential and require a negative test before entering the building. Plus, we've put controls in place to minimise the number of locations visited within a period of time and visiting team members is required to wear appropriate PPE at all times. All visits to our care homes are supported by the home Visitor Champion and visits are pre-booked and staggered to minimise the number of people on-site at any time.
PPE Availability and Use
Team members follow guidance to ensure the appropriate use of PPE during their working day.
We have a sufficient supply of PPE for our teams and continue to work closely with suppliers to ensure stock levels are maintained. Visitors to our homes are asked to wear PPE provided by brighterkind, which may include a face covering, apron or gloves.
They have done extremely well to keep residents COVID free. During lockdown they’ve regularly updated me and also made the effort to call me so that I can talk with my mother.
Keith M, son of resident at Houndswood House in Radlett, September 2020
Robust Cleaning
We are committed to achieving the highest standard of cleanliness and hygiene to control the spread of infection and illness in our homes. In addition to our detailed cleaning manual for team members, we have support tools available such as cleaning schedules and method cards to ensure cleaning and disinfection is carried out effectively, focusing on high risk infection areas, surfaces and hand touch points.
Standardisation is achieved throughout our care homes thanks to a company-wide chemical product list and all products are purchased from approved suppliers and supported by evidence of their efficacy and the required health and safety information.
We use a multi-surface cleaner disinfectant for use on all surfaces which is effective against Coronaviruses and personal hygiene protocols are actively followed by all team members.
Proactive Infection ControlWe are committed to the wellbeing of our residents and never forget how susceptible they can be to infection.
We take a dynamic, risk-based approach in response to any outbreak at a home or within the local community where they are based, working with the relevant local authorities on latest guidance and ensuring proactive communication for all involved.
Over the last few months, we have focused time, investment and energy on an enhanced approach to housekeeping and cleanliness. This long-term approach aims to lower the risk of any virus in our homes and has, and continues to be, a whole team effort to ensure a consistently clean place for all to live, work and visit.
The dedicated Infection Prevention & Control Champion in each home has completed an enhanced training course and has delivered short, informative briefings to all team members in their home. We are further investing for the long term by providing new equipment and shortly each home will receive a new ATP testing kit, which swabs for bacterial presence and will allow team members to measure the levels of cleanliness being achieved as part of an accurate and reliable audit process.
Hand HygieneHandwashing is the single most important way to prevent the spread of infection and we've made significant investment to encourage increased hand hygiene in line with government advice.
Permanent hand sanitiser stations are in place across all care homes and hold enough sanitiser for 10,000 uses, providing long-lasting protection without the need for constant refilling. They're a key part of our infection control strategy and help to protect the safety of those living and working in our homes, as well as visitors.
Safe Essential VisitsWe ensure that visits only take place from essential external professionals when absolutely safe to do so. They are considered on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Home Manager and are subject to a number of conditions.
We are taking steps to ensure that where we have to use agency staff, they do not work in other homes too. Any external team or contractor visits are strictly only when essential and require a negative test before entering the building. Plus, we've put controls in place to minimise the number of locations visited within a period of time and visiting team members is required to wear appropriate PPE at all times. All visits to our care homes are supported by the home Visitor Champion and visits are pre-booked and staggered to minimise the number of people on-site at any time.
PPE Availability and UseTeam members follow guidance to ensure the appropriate use of PPE during their working day.
We have a sufficient supply of PPE for our teams and continue to work closely with suppliers to ensure stock levels are maintained. Visitors to our homes are asked to wear PPE provided by brighterkind, which may include a face covering, apron or gloves.
They have done extremely well to keep residents COVID free. During lockdown they’ve regularly updated me and also made the effort to call me so that I can talk with my mother.
Keith M, son of resident at Houndswood House in Radlett, September 2020
Robust CleaningWe are committed to achieving the highest standard of cleanliness and hygiene to control the spread of infection and illness in our homes. In addition to our detailed cleaning manual for team members, we have support tools available such as cleaning schedules and method cards to ensure cleaning and disinfection is carried out effectively, focusing on high risk infection areas, surfaces and hand touch points.
Standardisation is achieved throughout our care homes thanks to a company-wide chemical product list and all products are purchased from approved suppliers and supported by evidence of their efficacy and the required health and safety information.
We use a multi-surface cleaner disinfectant for use on all surfaces which is effective against Coronaviruses and personal hygiene protocols are actively followed by all team members.
