We carried out a review of the data available to us about Low Laithes on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Low Laithes, you can give feedback on this service.
Low Laithes is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 35 young people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder. The accommodation comprises of self-contained maisonettes, which include a kitchen/dining area, living area and a bedroom with en-suite facilities. The location also has communal areas and a number of activity areas and gardens on site.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The service continued to provide a good standard of care and the leadership team demonstrated a commitment to continuously improving the service. The registered manager was supportive, responsive and promoted a culture of person-centred care at the service. The registered provider had an effective system of governance in place to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service.
People's needs were assessed, and care was planned and delivered in a person-centred way, in line with legislation and guidance. People were supported to receive their medicines when they needed them and records showed people had regular access to healthcare professionals to make sure their health care needs were met. People’s nutritional needs were met and the menus we saw offered variety and choice.
Staff were recruited safely and there were enough of them to keep people safe and to meet their care needs. Staff received appropriate training which was relevant to their role and people's needs. Staff were knowledgeable about how to identify and report any safeguarding concerns, which had been reported to the local authority as per the reporting procedure.
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.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.
Right support:
• The setting at Low Laithes was based in a rural location rather than being community based. People were still able to access community and nearby shops. The location benefited people being able to access the countryside for walks and bike rides.
Right care:
• Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy and human rights. People were supported in the least restrictive way and education and learning was promoted.
Right culture:
• Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensured people using services were leading confident, inclusive and empowered lives.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 9 January 2018).
Why we inspected
We received information of concern in relation to two other services run by this provider. These included concerns to people’s safety, staff culture and governance. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks at all of the provider’s ASC locations, to see if these concerns were repeated. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
The overall rating for the service has not changed. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe, effective and well-led sections of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Low Laithes on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
As part of the provider’s pandemic response they had risk assessed issues which may impact on people and staff’s health and safety at the home. Where risks were identified, procedures or control measures were implemented to embed current practice guidance as well as reduce such risks. For example, the provider assessed all shared areas of the service to ensure social distancing and national guidance was being complied with. Information about the maximum number of people safely permitted in a room at any one time was displayed. Offices were adapted so staff could continue to work safely.
The physical layout of the service meant social distancing and shielding was achievable. Each person who used the service had their own self-contained apartment and were able to access to a range of local amenities and onsite facilities to complement and enrich the lives of those living at Low Laithes.
The service had good engagement practices with people who lived at the service and with family. They kept everyone up to date with national guidance as well as involving them in changes happening at the service. The service utilised technology to encourage people to stay in contact with family and friends.
Staff were trained on how to keep people safe from the risk of infection and how to use PPE correctly. Through observation and discussions with staff, it was clear training was well embedded. The provider supplied staff with additional PPE so they were able to travel to and from work safely.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
Low Laithes is a ‘care home.’ 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.
Low Laithes is registered to provide accommodation for up to a maximum of 35 children or younger adults with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder, who require personal care. The home does not provide nursing care.
The accommodation comprises of self-contained maisonettes, which include a kitchen/dining area, living area and a bedroom with en-suite facilities. The location also has communal areas and a number of activity areas and gardens on site.
At the last inspection, the service was rated good.
At this inspection we found the service remained good.
Staff understood how to keep people safe through their knowledge of safeguarding procedures and people’s individual risk assessments. Medicines were managed and stored safely. Effective monitoring systems helped to keep the premises safe and emergency procedures were in place. We observed sufficient numbers of staff were deployed in order to provide safe care and support to people.
Staff received appropriate induction and training to enable effective care and support to be provided. Ongoing supervision was evident. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and we observed staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Positive relationships between staff and people who lived at Low Laithes were evident. Staff were respectful and mindful of ensuring people’s privacy was respected. Diversity was embraced and human rights were upheld.
Care plans were person-centred and this enabled personalised care and support to be provided. Appropriate referrals were made to health care professionals when this was appropriate.
Systems and processes for improving the safety and quality of the service were in place and were effective. People and staff told us they felt the home was well-led. Staff were clear of their responsibilities.
Further information is in the detailed findings.
Low Laithes is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to thirty people with a learning disability or autistic spectrum disorder. Low Laithes is a purpose built location and the accommodation comprises of self-contained maisonettes, which include a kitchen/dining area, living area and a bedroom with en-suite facilities.
There was a registered manager at the service. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Our last inspection at Low Laithes took place on 10 June 2013. The service was found to be meeting the requirements of the regulations we inspected at that time.
This inspection took place on 23 June 2015 and it was an unannounced inspection. This means the registered provider did not know we were going to carry out the inspection. On the day of our inspection, there were 27 people living at the home.
People told us they were well cared for and they felt safe.
We saw the staff were kind and compassionate. Staff understood people’s needs and treated them with respect.
Relatives said they found people had positive relationships with the staff and they trusted the staff at Low Laithes.
There were over 30 members of support staff and other staff on site and all were highly visible. There were sufficient staff that were available and responded to people’s needs and kept people safe.
We found the home was clean with no obvious hazards noticeable such as the unsafe storage of chemicals or fire safety risks.
We found systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely.
Staff had an understanding of their responsibilities to protect people from harm. Incidents were assessed and monitored by the registered manager to try to prevent and reduce potential re-occurrences of similar incidents.
Staff recruitment procedures were thorough and ensured people’s safety was promoted.
Individual support plans and risk assessments were in place in order to identify people’s needs and manage risks to people.
Staff were provided with relevant induction and training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff were very positive about the frequency and quality of training and induction available.
Staff were provided with regular supervision and appraisal for development and support.
The service followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of practice and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. This helped to protect the rights of people who may not be able to make important decisions themselves. People had access to advocacy services.
People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health. People had a choice of meals, so people’s individual preferences could be respected.
People and their relatives told us they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to. Bespoke complaints procedures were provided to people, according to their individual abilities.
People knew the registered manager and freely approached them during our visit.
We saw people participated in a range of daily activities, which were meaningful and promoted independence both within Low Laithes and in the community.
There were comprehensive systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure procedures to maintain safe practice were adhered to. People and their relatives had been asked their opinion of the quality of the service by both the registered provider and manager via surveys and by the regular forum meetings.
We found people experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. We talked with three parents during our inspection visit. Some comments captured from two sets of parents included 'We love it 'staff have done everything they can to support [X] 'staff have been absolutely wonderful', 'have had concerns lately, can address these with the staff '[who] are approachable and we can talk to them'.
One parent explained how they were kept informed and involved about aspects of their child's care. For example, they stated 'I'm more than happy we are listened to and things are addressed' and 'staff understand care needs, we give them an excellent rating'.
We found there were effective recruitment and retention processes in place.
We found there were effective systems to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that patients receive.
We found there was a complaints process in place.
On the Wentworth unit we talked to one parent of a person using the service who told us how positive their son's experience had been at Low Laithes Village. They told us there was 'good communication' between themselves and members of staff. The parent explained how their son's behaviour had improved and how they had 'come on in leaps and bounds since living at Low Laithes'. Some other comments made by the parent included, 'The care [son] gets is exemplary', 'Staff give fantastic care', 'Has a fantastic active life'.a quality of life he deserves' and 'I would praise them [staff] to the hilt'.
The provider also submitted information which had captured relatives views. For example:
'Parents praised Low Laithes Village for input and progression that had been made over last 12 months'.
'The parent partnership is vital'
'We reflected on all the efforts the staff had made to make it [Christmas] special and homely for 'Y' with a tree, decorations, lights, presents, and tons of the universal currency ' Chocolate!'
'Were now working with the care team as they outline their developing plans for 'Y' on their life journey and it's very exciting'.