Linksway provides 24 hour care by qualified nurses, supervised by Karen Kite, the Registered Manager. The Nurses are supported by a team of trained Care Assistants. They have all completed the Health and Social Care Diploma level 2,3 and 4.

Medication may be kept by residents themselves if desired, or may be dispensed by the qualified nursing staff. The home works closely with all members of the primary healthcare team. GP’s, district nurses, acute specialists, chiropodists, dentists and opticians all make visits to the home if needed.

Favourite foods are the most important part of the pre-admission assessment process. From roast beef to paella to Indian or Chinese, and a great variety of dishes are available within a balanced, nutritional and varied diet. Meals may be taken in the lounge or in the resident’s own room. Wine or sherry is often served at mealtimes where appropriate. Fruit juices and cordials are available throughout the day as are tea, coffee and light snacks and fruit.

Staff at Linksway strongly believe that residents should be encouraged to be as active and independent as possible. Residents are assisted to continue existing hobbies and interests; there is also scope to take up and enjoy new activities. A weekly music / exercise class is popular. There are also monthly events chosen by our residents. Residents also enjoy visits from the local llama and birds of prey centres.

Where possible, staff will escort residents on outings on a one-to-one basis. Trips to the shops, local entertainment, the seafront and other venues are enjoyed. Linksway has extensive links with local places of worship. We are happy to arrange for our residents to visit or be visited.

Following our research, which has been focused on particular specialities not provided by other care homes, we have developed a detailed set of policies and procedures for the prevention of falls. This has been made possible by a specific training programme for our staff. We believe that the acquired expertise of our staff makes our home very safe and secure for all our residents.

Visits from family and friends are unrestricted as far as possible. With a little notice it is possible for visitors to come and have a regular meal with their loved one and family meals are encouraged.

“I have found the staff to be empathetic, warm and knowledgeable. Dealing swiftly with any queries. The home is clean and welcoming. A genuinely difficult time has been made easier because my mum is here. Thank you.”

Jane M

“From my mother’s arrival until her death 10 months later, we have nothing but praise for Linksway Nursing Home. Her room had been carefully prepared, the bed made up with attractive bedding, pictures on the walls and fresh flowers. Staff were instantly welcoming to her and ourselves, and this continued throughout her stay. They were compassionate and professional in all aspects of her care, treating her with dignity and love, and always taking time to involve her and to socialise with her. This applied to her personal, medical, social and emotional needs. Staff were open about everything, and their paperwork was up to date and meticulous. We also appreciated the way in which all staff worked together, getting to know those in their care – this was true of the manager, nurses, carers, kitchen staff and property staff. Despite extensive refurbishment taking place, this was well managed, with disruption kept to a minimum. Certainly the level of care for my mother continued without compromise.”

Alison and Peter Stiff

Linksway is highly regarded for its thorough and professional care. A major regional agency has chosen Linksway, to provide staff training, to prepare its care staff, with a complete and comprehensive level of training.

Our recent CQC inspection report gave a “needs improvement rating”. Before drawing any conclusions, we would ask you to read the full report. The positive comments far outweigh the negatives with examples such as:

• People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
• Regular health and safety checks were undertaken at the service. Some improvement was required to the infection prevention processes, and this was made immediately. A programme of refurbishment was in progress. A robust risk assessment ensured measures were in place to minimise potential risks to people, visitors and staff.
• People were protected from risk of abuse through the provision of policies, procedures and staff training, and an effective recruitment process.
• The service worked closely with health and social care professionals to support people at the end of their lives. This ensured people’s needs and preferences were understood and met, and they and their families were supported.
• People, relatives and staff were invited to express their views of the service through quality assurance surveys. The information from the quality assurance processes was used to drive improvements at the service. Complaints were managed in line with the providers complaints policy.

We were of course very disappointed with the final rating but are pleased to say that all the negatives in the report have been dealt with and we look forward to a prompt re-inspection to reinstate our previous good rating.