Introduction
This policy supports the organisation to achieve compliance with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) – Regulation 9A: Visiting and accompanying in Care Homes, Hospitals and Hospices; and Regulation 15 Premises and Equipment
Policy Statement
For the Trust to provide a safe and secure environment for its clients, staff, contractors and visitors it is necessary to have in place a robust premises access security policy, along with procedures that will enhance security and safety.
The Policy
This Trust will take all reasonable measures to maintain the security and safety of all clients, staff, visitors and contractors who are on the Trust’s premises. This policy applies to all staff and contractors and other visitors must comply with the instructions issued to visitors below.
All individuals using the Trust’s premises must take responsibility for promoting access to them by ensuring that security and safety are maintained via adherence to the principles within this policy and any supporting instructions. Failure to abide by the policy may lead to disciplinary action, restrictions on visits and/or criminal proceedings being taken against the individual.
Principles
All Orchard Trust staff and visitors, when visiting or working in a service that is not their usual place of work, should:
- On entering ‘sign in’ using the relevant system.
- On leaving that premises ‘sign out’ using the relevant system.
Guidance for using the digital system is displayed in the service, if in doubt please ask a member of staff.
Visitors
‘Visitors’ refers to any person that is not employed by the Trust to ‘regularly’ work at that service. These would include non-professional colleagues, e.g. other
Trust staff, relatives, friends, Bank and Agency workers etc and professional colleagues including Health and Social Care professionals, Therapists and maintenance contractors.
Staff must ensure the following:
On arrival
- Staff must establish the identity of any visitor that is not known to them. Most professionals will carry ID cards and staff must ask to see these. Staff can then contact the person the visitor states they have come to see and escort the visitor to that person. If the visitor has no ID staff are to check with others, e.g Senior on duty, Service Manager, On call Manager before allowing access.
- Staff to ask visitors to ‘sign in’ using the relevant system
- Staff must ask who the visitor has come to see, if not already known.
- Visitors must identify themselves to staff and clarify the reason for their visit
On leaving
- Visitors are asked on leaving to ‘sign out’ using the relevant system
Visitors have a general responsibility to look after the Trust’s property whilst at the services and to give due consideration to security issues. Visitors should not interfere, amend or remove Trust property, signage or other items in the home without prior permission from a senior member of staff.
Visitors are to follow security procedures designed to protect the Trust’s property.
Visitors are to follow any given instructions by any member of staff who is carrying out procedures in an emergency situation. They should familiarise themselves with the premises’ escape routes and emergency exits which are all signed.
Visitors must respect the privacy of others by keeping their personal and/or medical information (verbal, written, or any other form) private and confidential. Visitors must not ask questions which could cause another person to breach confidentiality.
All interactions with clients, staff, other visitors, must be conducted with respect. The Trust takes a zero-tolerance attitude to abusive or bullying behaviour towards or harassment of staff or colleagues and, if it occurs, visitors may be asked to leave the premises. Continued or repeated behaviour, as outlined above, towards staff, clients, other visitors and/or in the presence of our clients may lead to restricting or removing access to the premises and/or the introduction of accompanied visits. Further information can be found in our Bullying and Harassment policy available on the Trust’s website.
Suspicious Behaviour
Should staff notice any suspicious behaviour or criminal activity they must inform their line manager or supervisor as soon as possible. Where appropriate, the line manager will question the individual(s) in a friendly and positive manner. They will either direct a security response to the area as a matter of urgency, or ensure the police are contacted, if appropriate.
If a member of staff comes across a person in the building that they do not recognise they must challenge the person to identify themselves. If that person cannot identify themselves they must be asked to leave and the incident reported at once. If the person does not leave the police must be contacted to safeguard the staff and clients
General
- All visitors are encouraged to sanitise their hands using hand gel/spray where provided upon entering and leaving the premises.
- If the service is experiencing isolated cases of infections, such as gastrointestinal or respiratory infections, all visitors will practise infection prevention and control measures as advised by management. This may include the wearing of personal protective equipment
- In the event of widespread illness or infection within the service, direction will be taken from the local Health Protection Team regarding access into the premises
- Visitors who are ill (e.g with cold or flu) should consider postponing their visit to prevent transmission of illness to clients and staff
- Children accompanying visitors must be supervised by an adult at all times
- Pets may only accompany visitors by prior agreement with the service manager before each visit, and must remain under full control at all times
- All Trust premises are non-smoking environments and smoking or vaping is only permitted in designated smoking areas
- Any injury, hazard, or problem, no matter how minor, must be reported to staff immediately to be recorded in the accident, incident, near miss report book
- Visitors are encouraged to share their concerns, comments, complaints and also their compliments with staff and the manager. Compliments can be made in a variety of ways, including via the form on the Contact us page of the Trust’s website. A copy of the Trust’s complaints policy is available on the Trust’s website or by request to the service’s manager
- The Trust cannot be held responsible for injuries visitors suffer as a result of violating this policy.
Visiting and accompanying in care homes
This policy supports clients to receive visits from people they want to see inside and outside of the care home, and to be accompanied by a loved one at medical appointments.
Where restrictions to visiting are required these will be discussed with family, friends or advocates where appropriate, and will be the least restrictive option possible. If exceptional circumstances exist the Trust will put in place any measures or precautions necessary and proportionate to ensure that visiting and accompaniment can continue to happen safely. These will be the least restrictive options and decided with the person using the service, and their family, friends or advocates where appropriate. Any restrictions will be reviewed regularly and removed as soon as possible.
Very occasionally, there may be exceptional circumstances where, despite any precautions put in place, a visit or accompaniment still poses a significant risk to the health, safety or welfare of a person using the service, staff, other people visiting, or other individuals on the premises. This risk will mean that, despite considering all possible actions and precautions, an in-person visit or accompaniment cannot be safely facilitated and there is no alternative but to restrict visiting or accompaniment at that time. If this is the case, the Trust will seek relevant external and/or legal advice and put in place the necessary restrictions. These will be reviewed regularly.
If there is a need for additional precautions or a restriction to be put in place, the Trust will apply the most proportionate and least restrictive option which is least likely to interfere with the client’s right to see their visitors when and how they want. This could be by implementing additional health and safety measures, or using technology such as video or phone calls to maintain contact until visits in person can be resumed
Where restrictions have been imposed, the Trust will keep a record of any assessment and decisions on visiting, demonstrating:
- what are the stated preferences of the person
- how they have made these decisions and who has been involved
- how the balance of the person’s rights has been considered
- whether restrictions are lawful, legitimate and proportionate
- whether they have implemented any mitigations to make sure they have used the least restrictive, most reasonable option when they have reviewed the restrictions.
There may be times when the wishes of the client, with the relevant capacity, are not the same as those of people who want to visit them. In those circumstances, priority will be given to the wishes of the client, with relevant advice sought for those who are deemed to lack capacity but appear to express a wish for the visit not to take place.
The Trust will always support visits in person to someone who is receiving care at the end of their life.
If you have any questions regarding visiting these should be directed to the Service Manager in the first instance.
Related Policies for Visitors – these can be found on the Trust’s website:
Bullying and Harassment
Complaints
Guidance for visitors
Privacy Policy
Related Policies for Staff
Bullying and Harassment
Complaints
Compliments (Listening and Learning)
Disability Discrimination
Equal Opportunities
Equality and Diversity
Privacy policy
Also see: Guidance for Visitors to Orchard Trust Services
Training Statement
All staff will be offered training covering information about staff duties and responsibilities including under the Equality Act 2010, health and safety risk management and reporting of hazards. All new staff will receive induction training that will include guidance on improving access and procedures wherever possible.
This policy is displayed on the Trust’s website
| Signed: Cathy Andrews – Chief Executive Officer | Issue Date: 16/01/2017
Reviewed: 22/05/2018 Updated: 8/7/2019 Reviewed: Feb 2020 Updated: 2021 Updated: Oct 2022 |
Updated: March 2023
Reviewed: Feb 2024 Updated: May 2024 Updated: June 2024 |
