Lifstan Way Care Home

Updated 10 May 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection. The inspection took place on 17 April 2018 and was completed by one inspector.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included the last inspection report and statutory notifications. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send us. We also reviewed a Provider Information Return (PIR). A PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we spoke with three people. Some people chose not to speak with us, so we used observation as a main tool to find out about the service they were receiving. We spoke with three members of staff, registered manager and the area manager. Following our inspection we spoke via telephone to two relatives on the 19 and 20 April 2018 to seek their views on the service.

We reviewed a range of documents and records including two people’s care files, three staff recruitment and support files, staff rotas, training records, arrangements for medication, minutes of resident and staff meetings and quality assurance information.

Updated 10 May 2018

Lifstan Way Care Home is a residential care home located in Southend on Sea close to local amenities such as bus routes and shops. The home is registered to provide accommodation with personal care for up to 11 people with mental health needs. There were 10 people receiving a service on the day of our inspection. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

At our last inspection on the 13 January 2016, we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The service provided good care and support to people enabling them to lead fulfilled and meaningful lives. People were supported by skilled and well trained staff who ensured people were safe and encouraged them to achieve their full potential and live as independently as possible.

Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were appropriately assessed, managed and reviewed. People were cared for by staff that had been recruited and employed after completion of appropriate checks which ensured people were protected from the risk of avoidable harm. People were supported by a consistent staff team and there were sufficient staffing levels to meet people’s assessed needs. People’s medicines were managed appropriately.

People are supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. There was a positive culture within the home that reflected the provider’s vision to support and promote people’s voice, choice and control within their own home and the wider community.

Staff received and the training they needed to fulfil their role and received regular supervision. Staff knew people well and were kind and sensitive to their needs and ensured their privacy and dignity was respected. People told us they were happy with the care and support they received. People’s nutritional needs were met and people were supported to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. People received support to access health care professionals and services when required.

Care plans were regularly reviewed and people were involved in the planning of their care. Staff shared information effectively which meant that any changes in people’s needs were responded to appropriately. People were provided with the opportunity to participate in activities which interested them.

People, staff, relatives and healthcare professionals spoke positively about the registered manager who was committed to providing a person centred service; ensuring people had a good quality of life. There were systems in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service provided and people and staff had the opportunity to say how they felt about the home and the service it provided. The registered manager was able to demonstrate how they measured and analysed the care and support provided to people, and how this ensured that the service was operating safely and was continually improving to meet people’s needs.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.