We carried out a review of the data available to us about Lonsdale Midlands Limited - 290 Newton Road 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 Lonsdale Midlands Limited - 290 Newton Road, you can give feedback on this service.
The care home accommodates people in one adapted building which is laid out over two floors. People had individual bedrooms.
We found the following examples of good practice.
Lonsdale Midlands Limited – 290 Newton Road ensured current government guidelines in relation to COVID-19 were being followed by staff and visitors to reduce the risk of infection to people living at the home. This included comprehensive checks for visitors on arrival.
The infection control policy was up to date. We reviewed audits which reflected actions had been taken to maintain the standards within the home.
The home managed risk in relation to infection well, as people were unable to social distance, regular observation checks were recorded and increased touchpoint cleaning was undertaken.
290 Newton Road had a registration to provide personal care and accommodation to a maximum of seven people. People who lived there may have a learning disability and/or autism. At the time of the inspection five people lived at the home.
The service applied the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensured that people who used the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found;
The provider had quality assurance systems in place and action had been taken to make some improvements to include the start of some redecoration. However, there was an on-going issue in relation to some people’s bedrooms only having intermittent hot water. This issue had been highlighted at our previous inspection and in our previous inspection report. We found the issue remained and had not been observed by the provider’s audits.
People felt safe and were supported by staff who knew how to keep them safe and protect them from harm. Staff were aware of how to recognise, report and act on any concerns relating to abuse. Staff knew about people’s individual risks and how to manage those risks. Recruitment processes were in place to ensure people’s safety. People were supported by enough staff for their needs to be safely met. Medicines were managed safely and were administered as they had been prescribed. Accidents and incidents were recorded, reported and acted upon. Accidents and incidents had been analysed and where required changes had been made to practice preventing future occurrences. The premises were warm and clean.
People and relatives were positive about the overall service provided. People’s needs were assessed regularly. Where possible people and their relatives were involved in the assessment processes. As a result, care plans reflected people’s individual needs and preferences. Staff had received training to enable them to support people effectively. Staff supported people to access a variety of healthcare services in the local community to promote their good health and well-being. People were supported to make decisions and to have choice and control in their lives. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The nature of the overall environment reflected people’s preferred colour schemes and facilities.
Staff were seen to be kind and caring and treated people with dignity and respect. All people had their own bedroom that gave them personal space and enabled privacy. Relatives told us staff were kind and friendly. Visiting times were open and flexible.
People were supported by staff who knew them and were aware of what was important to them. People had no complaints. Relatives were involved in reviews of their family member’s care and support. Relatives and people had been asked to give feedback on the service provided.
People were complimentary of the service and considered it to be well-led. Staff felt supported and listened to and were confident any concerns they may raise would be dealt with appropriately.
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 11 July 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
At our last inspection in February 2015 the service was rated as good in all of the five questions we ask: ‘Is the service safe?’:Is the service effective?: Is the service caring?: Is the service responsive? and, Is the service well-led?
The home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care to a maximum of seven people. On the day of our inspection four people lived at the home. People lived with a range of conditions the majority of which related to learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorder.
The manager was registered with us and was present on the day. 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.
People knew who the registered manager was and they were visible within the service. Overall, quality monitoring processes, the use of provider feedback forms and meetings helped to ensure that service was being run in the best interests of the people who lived there. However, the provider had not taken action to maintain the premises to a reasonable standard and checks on the hot water supply had not been adequate to identify that hot water was not consistently available.
People told us that they felt safe. Systems were in place to prevent people from the risk of harm and abuse. One staff member to one person staffing levels ensured that there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Safe recruitment systems were in place to prevent the possibility of unsuitable staff being employed. Medicines were managed safely and in a way that ensured that people could take their medicines as they had been prescribed.
Staff were provided with the training that they required to ensure that they had the skills and knowledge to provide safe and appropriate care to people. Staff confirmed that they were adequately supported in their job roles. People received care in line with their best interests and processes were in place to ensure they were not restricted unlawfully. People were supported to have the food and drink that they enjoyed.
Relationships between staff and the people who lived at the home were positive. Staff were friendly, polite and helpful to people. People were encouraged to make everyday choices and they were supported to enhance and maintain their independence and daily living skills.
People needs were reviewed regularly to ensure that they could be met. The complaints system was well managed and was available for people and their relatives to use. A varied range of activities were available each day for people to engage in.
This was an announced inspection, which took place on 10 February 2015. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice because the location was a small care home for younger adults who are often out during the day; we needed to be sure that someone would be in.
The service provides personal care and accommodation for seven people, with a learning disability. However, the provider has chosen to only accommodate three people.
There was no registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.
People spoken with told us that they were safe. Staff knew how to reduce the risk of harm to people from abuse and unsafe practice, and had received appropriate training to help them to keep people safe. The risk of harm to people receiving a service was assessed and managed appropriately; this ensured that people received care and support in a safe way. Where people required support with taking their medication, there were procedures in place to ensure this was done safely and people told us they received their medication as prescribed by their doctor.
People and staff spoken with said there were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs. People and a relative spoken with felt the staff were trained and knew people’s needs well. Staff were suitably recruited, trained and supported to ensure they cared for people well.
Staff were caring and treated people with respect and dignity. People’s involvement and independence was respected and promoted. People’s health and personal care needs were met and they were able to choose what they ate and drank. People could speak with care staff and senior managers about their concerns. No one had raised any concerns or complaints about the care they received.
Everyone spoken with felt that the quality of the service was good and that the service was well managed. Staff were open and receptive to ideas about how they could improve people’s care. The provider had internal quality assurance systems to monitor the care and support people received, to ensure it was of good standard.
We saw that people were able to make choices about their daily activities and staff obtained their consent and agreement before undertaking any activities with them. One member of staff told us, 'We sit down with each person on a weekly basis and we talk with them about what they want to do."
People told us that they liked living at the home and we saw that people were comfortable and happy in their environment and were supported to live independent lives. One person told us, 'I am going on holiday to Spain and me and X are going shopping for clothes.' Another person told us, 'I am going to have my hair cut.'
People told us that they got their medicines when needed. We saw that the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines.
We saw that people received a good quality service and that the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.
We saw that people were comfortable with the staff and could talk to them about things. We found that there was an effective complaints system available.
People told us that they were able to make choices about their daily living. We saw that people living at the home were able to maintain their independence and were involved in community activities.
People told us that they liked living at the home. One person told us,' I like living here and like going out with a carer on the bus.' We saw that people's needs were being met in a safe way.
People told us if they were worried about anything they would tell the staff. We saw that systems were in place to ensure that people were safeguarded from abuse.
People told us that they liked the staff that supported them. One person said, 'I like the staff they are nice.' We found that staff were trained and supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard.
We saw that people were receiving a quality service that met their needs. We found that the provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided to ensure that people's needs were met in a safe way.