- Care home
Lindisfarne Birtley
Report from 20 March 2025 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 2 to 23 May 2025. Lindisfarne Birtley is a care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 66 people who have physical health conditions, mental health needs or are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, 59 people used the service.
Staff treated people with dignity and kindness. People experienced a wide range of activities. The catering staff understood people’s needs and ensured people received enjoyable, nutritious meals. People, relatives and professionals were complimentary about staff who were supporting individuals.
Staff knew how to provide safe care. Staff understood people's needs and how to manage any presenting risks. The registered manager ensured the assessments were completed in a timely manner and were accurate. The care records clearly detailed people’s needs and were written in a person-centred manner. The registered manager was putting measures in place to ensure staff ensured the information they knew about life history was better reflected care records.
We observed staff had created a real sense of community within the home and they valued everyone’s opinions. The service was vibrant and very much full of life, with people encouraged to participant in the running of the home. People reported they found the staff closely listened to their views and the care being delivered was very flexible and person-centred. Relatives reported staff ensured people had a good quality of life. Staff worked with people to ensure they could still take everyday risks such as going to the shops independently.
The registered manager promoted a learning culture. Staff had access to an extensive range of training, which included mandatory training such as using the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated code of practice guidance, and condition specific training. Staff found the training really supported them to provide the best care possible for the people who used the service.
Staff work very effectively as a team to ensure people’s support needs were met. In collaboration with the local GP, staff had been given access to the central medical computer system and this allowed staff to ensure all the information they held was accurate and up to date. Medicines were safely managed.
The provider and registered manager ensured the quality assurance system they had in place was effective. They ensured the service put people first. They encouraged people to share their views and always looked to see what improvements could be made. The provider made sure the home was well-maintained and was in the process of installing air conditioning units and new lighting on the lower ground floor unit to make this feel more homely.
People's experience of this service
People were extremely positive about the quality of the care. Everyone we spoke with told us they found staff were very caring and supportive and often went the extra mile to ensure people’s needs were met. A person said, “It is fantastic here, the staff are wonderful, and I can’t fault them at all.” Another person said, “They [staff] are a good bunch and go out of their way to make sure we are happy.”
Some individuals had very limited verbal communication. We used a structured observation tool to assess whether they received good care. This approach showed people were included and listened to and staff consistently interacted positively with them. Staff worked with people in a sensitive, caring and considerate manner. They knew people’s life history and used this effectively to engage people and reduce any distress they might be experiencing.
People felt safe and their human rights were fully promoted. They were encouraged to make decisions. A relative said, “I visit regularly and find [person’s name] is always clean, tidy and very content. They find it hard to talk but staff know exactly what they are talking about and are really lovely with [person’s name].” Another relative said, “There is always plenty of things for [person’s name] to do and they are really happy here. We can’t fault them.” A person said, “I have felt so much better since I moved here. Everyone has been so kind and caring.”
People told us they felt listened to and consulted around how their care and support should be provided. All felt staff were competent and knowledgeable. People felt able to complain and were confident action would be taken and improvements would be made. A person said, “I’m always asked what I think and if I have any concerns the staff sort them out straightaway.”