Updated 10 September 2020
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This was a targeted inspection to check on a specific concern raised with us about people’s safety, record keeping, infection control practices, moving and handling and accident and incident management.
As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted as part of our Thematic Review of infection control and prevention in care homes.
Inspection team
This inspection was undertaken by three inspectors, two of whom completed a site visit to Lancaster House on 06 August 2020. One inspector facilitated the inspection remotely and interviewed the registered manager by phone.
Service and service type
Lancaster Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and other professionals who work with the service. The provider had not been asked to complete a recent provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We observed staff supporting people and spent time looking at the cleanliness and infection control practices in the home. We spoke with four staff about infection control practices and we spoke with the registered manager at length about their experiences at Lancaster Court during the course of the pandemic. We reviewed records relating to the care and support of three people who used the service. We looked at accident and incident records and management. We spoke with a representative of the provider’s senior management team by phone, and we gathered views of nineteen further staff members by a mixture of phone and email. We liaised with the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification to validate evidence found.