Longmoor Lodge Care Home

Longmoor Lodge is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 46 people. The service provides support to older people, specialising in dementia care. At the time of our inspection there were 29 people using the service. The care home is split over two floors with a number of communal lounges, quiet spaces and dining areas for people to use.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Safeguarding processes were robust and ensured people were protected from the potential risk of abuse. There were enough suitably trained staff to meet the needs of people using the service, which included taking time to meet people’s emotional and social interaction needs. Risks to people were assessed and person-centred guidance was in place for staff to support people safely. The home was clean and well maintained. People received their medicines as prescribed. Accidents and incidents were reported, analysed and action taken to mitigate risk to people using the service.

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.

There were comprehensive quality assurance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. A range of checks were completed by the registered manager and provider to ensure risks were identified and action was taken to mitigate them. The service actively sought feedback from all relevant stakeholders and used feedback to drive improvements. People were complimentary about the care they received and had positive relationships with staff. The service worked in partnership with a range of professionals, seeking and following recommendations where appropriate.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 9 March 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to safeguarding concerns which had been raised by the provider. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions safe and well-led only. During this inspection we found the provider had taken necessary action to keep people safe.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Longmoor Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Longmoor Lodge Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 18 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 46 people.

The accommodation is over two floors with lift access to the first floor. It is in a residential area of Sandiacre with access to public transport and local facilities.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Improvements were being made within the home. Carpets were being replaced, the home was being redecorated and vinyl floorings in en-suite bathrooms were sealed to ensure effective cleaning could take place. The sluice had been reorganised, repaired and redecorated to ensure equipment and products were safely stored. Information regarding cleaning products and correct dilution rates were now available and staff had received training to ensure they all knew how these were to be used effectively. Cleaning records were completed and the manager had oversight to ensure this was effective.

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 requires improvement (published 9 March 2021).

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made.

Why we inspected

We undertook this targeted inspection to check whether the Warning Notice we previously served in relation to Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 had been met. The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains Requires Improvement.

CQC have introduced targeted inspections to follow up on Warning Notices or to check specific concerns. They do not look at an entire key question, only the part of the key question we are specifically concerned about. Targeted inspections do not change the rating from the previous inspection. This is because they do not assess all areas of a key question.

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.

Longmoor Lodge Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 18 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 46 people.

The accommodation is over two floors with lift access to the first floor. It is in a residential area of Sandiacre with access to public transport and local facilities.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Arrangements for maintaining the environment and management of infection prevention and control was not suitable. There were some areas of the home which were not clean, and carpets and flooring needed to be fitted securely to ensure these could be cleaned effectively. Arrangements to oversee the quality of the service were not always effective and timely actions had not been completed to act on concerns and the improvements which had been identified.

Staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep people and themselves safe. Arrangements were in place for staff to put on and take off PPE. Systems were in place for people to have their medicines as prescribed. There were enough staff who had been safely recruited to ensure they were suitable to work with people.

People had good relationships with staff, who knew how to provide their care. Relatives felt people were supported well and they were able to keep in touch with relatives whilst there were restrictions on visiting the home. The staff worked with health care professionals to ensure people’s health was monitored and treatment was provided promptly when needed.

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 28 February 2020).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to infection prevention and control and governance of the service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions Safe and well-led only.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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 changed from Good to Requires Improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the Safe and Well Led sections of this full report.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Longmoor Lodge Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service.

We have identified breaches in relation to how the provider reviewed the quality of service provision, maintained the home and managed infection prevention and control.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Longmoor Lodge Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to 37 people aged 65 and over and specialises in the care of people who are living with dementia. The service can support up to 46 people.

The purpose-built home is in a residential area. Accommodation is spread over two floors with communal facilities on the ground floor. There are two communal lounges, an activities/cinema room and two dining areas. All bedrooms are single accommodation with toilet and sink facilities. Bathing rooms are located on both floors near to bedrooms. A lift was available to access the first floor. There was an enclosed patio area to the rear of the building for outside access.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

The provider had systems in place to effectively manage the service, however a manager was not in post at the time of inspection. Senior staff at the service led the staff team who provided care resulting in good outcomes for people. Staff worked in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure people's health and social care needs were met. The provider used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. Improvements relating to communication between management and staff and consistency of leadership to improve staff morale were discussed.

Safeguarding procedures were in place to protect people from abuse. Staff understood their responsibilities to protect people and were trained to recognise and report concerns. Staff were recruited safely and sufficient numbers of staff were available to support people. Medicines were safely managed, administered and recorded by trained senior staff. There were suitable infection control systems in place and the environment was clean and tidy.

The provider ensured staff received training relevant to their work role. People were pleased with the choice and quality of the meals, drinks and snacks provided throughout the day. People received prompt referrals when health services were required. People could make decisions about their care. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff asked for their consent when providing care. People were supported in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People felt staff were kind, caring and treated them as individuals. People were treated with respect and were involved in care planning. People’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff and people were encouraged to remain as independent as possible.

People's communication needs had been assessed and recorded. Staff understood how best to communicate with people based upon their individual needs. People had a choice of meaningful activities to choose from and provided with sensory aids to help reduce anxiety. People were aware of how to raise concerns about the service and felt empowered to do so if required.

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 1 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the Well-Led section of this full report.

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.

This inspection visit was unannounced and took place on 17 July 2017. At our last inspection visit on 3 November 2015 we asked the provider to make improvements in relation to audits and how these reflect changes to the home. At this inspection, we found improvements had been made. The service was registered to provide accommodation for up to 46 people. People who used the service had physical health needs and/or were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 42 people were using the service.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 provider and registered manager had developed a range of audits which reflected the running of the home and we saw how they had been used to drive improvements. Staff had received training in a range of areas to support their role and staff had been encourage to develop skills to share with other staff and cascade the learning. People who used the service felt safe and staff understood their role in ensuring people were protected from harm. Staff recruited to the home had received the appropriate checks to ensure they were safe to work with people. Risk assessments were in place to ensure people’s safety and the safety of the environment. There was sufficient staff to support people’s needs and this was under constant review to ensure the staffing levels reflected people’s needs.

The registered manager understood their responsibilities when people lacked capacity. We saw best interest decisions and assessments had been completed in line with guidance. Where people were being restricted of their liberty, the appropriate authorisations had been applied for. Staff sought peoples consent before care was provided.

We saw and people told us there had been improvements to the home and these had enhanced people’s experience of care. People had established relationships with the staff felt their decisions were respected. Staff provided a kind and friendly approach to the care they delivered. People had the opportunity to engage in activities and entertainment was provided.

Medicines were managed safely and in accordance with good practice. People enjoyed the meals and had the opportunity to choose the food they ate. Some people required meals to maintain their nutritional needs and good health and this was promoted. Staff made referrals to healthcare professionals in a timely manner to maintain people’s health and wellbeing.

People felt relaxed in the atmosphere of the home and there was continued improvements made to the environment. People felt confident they could raise any concerns with the provider and manager. There were processes in place for people to express their views and opinions about the home.

We saw that the previous rating was displayed in the reception of the home as required. The manager understood their responsibility of registration with us and notified us of important events that occurred at the service; this meant we could check appropriate action had been taken.

Information was available to the cook regarding people's dietary needs and preferences.

We saw that staff were responsive to people's needs and wishes, for example we observed staff offering choices at the lunch time meal and supporting people with their meal in a caring and patient manner.

We spoke with three visitors who confirmed they were happy with the care their relatives received. One visitor whose relative had been admitted within the last month told us, 'I'm very happy with the care, the staff are always welcoming and seem very nice.' Another visitor said 'the staff are very caring, I have no concerns and everyone is so approachable. I think if I had any concerns they would get sorted quickly.'

We observed a positive and friendly relationship between the staff team and visitors.

We checked the medication practices and found that these were well managed and that people received their medication as prescribed and in a safe way.

Sufficient numbers of staff were on duty to ensure people's needs were met effectively.