• Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Elstree Lawns Care Home

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Barnet Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire, WD6 3RD (020) 8207 3255

Provided and run by:
Bupa Care Homes (CFChomes) Limited

All Inspections

23 to 24 March 2015

During a routine inspection

This inspection took place on 23 and 24 March 2015 and was unannounced.

Elstree Lawns Specialist Nursing Home is registered to provide accommodation and nursing care for up to 54 people. On the day of the inspection there were 31people using the service and a registered manager was in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 provider used safe recruitment practices, staff had inductions and were supported with shadowing whilst developing skills. Supervisions and appraisals had not been completed but were being scheduled by the manager. Staff were aware of their responsibility to protect people from harm or abuse.

There was a newly appointed manager. The manager explained that they had prioritised staffing levels and training but improvements had been made since there appointment

Staff received regular training and knew how to meet people’s individual needs. Any important changes in people’s needs were communicated to all staff when they started their shifts, and there were regular daily meeting to discuss changes to people’s needs.

The staff were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff also understood the importance of giving people as much choice and freedom as possible. The manager had made appropriate applications for DoLS in order to keep people safe. Staff gained consent from people whenever they could and where people lacked capacity we saw that arrangements were in place for staff to act in their best interests.

People had appropriate food and drink and staff had access to accurate and up to date information to help them meet people’s dietary needs. However there was not enough staff to assist people who required support during meal times.

There were planned weekly activities and entertainment was arranged by the activities co-ordinator. However during our inspection we did not see many people being involved with activities.

Staff were kind and people appreciated the positive relationships they had with staff. This was also true for relatives. People’s privacy and dignity were respected and all confidential information about them was held securely. People using the service were complimentary about the staff providing the service. However we saw interaction from staff that was not supportive or caring.

Care plans were personalised and included information about people’s life history and interests. People’s individual needs were assessed and were specific to people as individuals. Staff were knowledgeable about how to manage people’s individual needs.

The service was well led by a manager who promoted a fair an open culture. They encouraged staff to take responsibility. The manager had a support structure in place from area managers. There was a quality management system in place which included a system of audits to identify where improvements could be made and to identify trends.

14 January 2014

During a routine inspection

The people we spoke with including a number of relatives said that they were happy with the service they received. One person said 'I get good care here. I feel safe and the staff are caring and helpful'. Another person said 'The staff look after us. The food is good. We have a variety of activities provided and sometimes I join in'. One relative we spoke with said 'They do not have any concerns and felt that if they couldn't visit for any reason, they have faith in the care the staff provide'.

We found that the provider was meeting the standards we had inspected. People and their relatives had been involved in the decisions about their care and treatment. People's needs had been assessed and received care and support in accordance with their agreed care plans. We noted that there was a system for the safe management of medicines. The staff had received relevant training and support so that they were competent in their roles. There were arrangements in place for assessing and monitoring the quality of the service by seeking the views of people, their relatives and the staff.

The provider and staff demonstrated they were aware of people's cultural needs and for ensuring equality and valuing diversity.

28 June 2012

During a routine inspection

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service. This was because people had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us about their experiences. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We observed positive and respectful interaction between the people who live at Elstree Lawns and the staff who supported them. There was a calm atmosphere and people were encouraged to engage with their surroundings and the activities taking place. One person we spoke with told us they were glad they had been able to move in. They said the staff were 'very kind' and 'they are good here'.

During our visit we were able to speak with three relatives. They were positive about the service their relatives had been provided with. One person told us, 'You couldn't ask for better'. The visitors we spoke with confirmed they were kept up to date with any changes in their relative's health or well-being. They said that the staff were welcoming, friendly, caring and supportive. One person told us that 'the manager and staff were wonderful'. People told us that whenever they visited, their relative had received attention to their personal care and appearance. The visitors we spoke with confirmed that they attended the relatives meetings that had taken place. This meant they were able to meet other people with similar experiences, give their views on the service and hear about forthcoming events and activities.