We carried out a review of the data available to us about Lowther 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 Lowther Road, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
The service provided safe and effective ways for people to visit their relative including a booking system, guidance for visitors and a thorough screening questionnaire. Visitors undertook a lateral flow test and temperature check and visited their relative in an externally accessed room which had been converted into a ‘cafe’. Time was allowed for deep cleaning between visits.
Hand sanitiser was available throughout the premises and staff had plentiful stocks of personal protective equipment (PPE) to enable them to care for people safely.
The provider had thorough guidance, policies and procedures to ensure that staff understood how to keep people safe. They supported staff by providing three update and support calls each week. Effective auditing was also in place.
The home was visibly clean and uncluttered. There were robust cleaning schedules in place including additional cleaning of high touch areas.
The home tested people and staff in line with government guidance. At the time of the inspection people and staff were free from COVID-19. During an outbreak of COVID-19 at the home staff cared for the people affected with sensitivity and a very robust approach to supporting people safely and preventing the spread of the infection.
The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Mental capacity assessments and best interests decisions were in place for decisions such as going out in the community and family visits. The registered manager described how staff had robustly challenged a health care professional when they felt their guidance was not adhering to the principles of the act.
People were supported to maintain their relationships through video calls, or by telephone calls when they were not able to use video technology. Staff had been creative and developed different types of activities to ensure people continued with their interests and developed new skills.
Staff had been supported by training on PPE and an internal e-learning course on infection control. The registered manager confirmed that some staff had completed externally provided infection prevention and control (IPC) training and had a plan in place for the remaining staff team.
Lowther Road is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Lowther Road accommodates up to four adults with a learning disability in one house. A downstairs bedroom is adapted to suit people with impaired mobility. The service was providing personal care to four working age people at the time of the inspection. Nursing care is not provided.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.
People’s experience of using this service:
The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways: promotion of choice and control, independence and inclusion.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. This included the assessment and management of people’s individual risks.
There was an emphasis on promoting people’s privacy, dignity and independence. People were gently supported to do as much as they were able for themselves.
People were frequently involved in their chosen activities and had community contact as a matter of course. They were encouraged and supported to keep in touch with people who were important to them. A relative told us with pleasure about how busy their loved one was.
The service had a strong and visible person-centred culture, with staff demonstrating real empathy for the people they were supporting. People and relatives valued the caring approach of the manager and staff, which exceeded the expectations of relatives.
People interacted freely with staff, who were skilled at understanding their communication styles and communicating with them in the way they needed.
People got the support they needed, as staff had a good understanding of their support plans. A relative told us how their loved one had thrived at the service. People and their families were meaningfully involved in decisions about their care and support.
People were supported to manage their health, including having a varied and balanced diet of their choice. Medicines were managed safely.
The manager and staff understood their responsibility to protect people from abuse. When circumstances had required it, the manager and staff had followed local safeguarding protocols. There were checks to ensure new staff were of good character and suitable for their role.
The premises were bright and homely, and were kept in a clean and safe condition.
Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s support needs. Staff had the support they needed, through training and supervision, to perform their roles effectively.
Everyone we spoke with expressed confidence in the way the service was run. There were robust quality assurance arrangements, with a mechanism for bringing about improvements, where necessary, as a result of accidents, incidents or complaints.
The service met the characteristics of outstanding in caring and good in all other areas.
Rating at last inspection:
At the last inspection the service was rated good (10 August 2016). The overall rating has remained the same.
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Lowther Road is a care home for up to four adults with a learning disability. There were four people living there during our inspection.
There was a registered manager, which is a condition of the service’s registration. 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 and their relatives were highly complimentary about the service. People told us they liked living there. A relative explained how moving to the service had been positive for their family member, and said that this had been beneficial for the family also. They said, “It’s the loveliest place in the world” and described their relative as “a changed person".
The service had a strong ethos of person-centred care and support. People received care and support that met their needs and respected their preferences and choices. Staff worked creatively to ensure that people were involved in making decisions about their care. The manner in which staff spoke with people, with each other and with us reflected that they valued people as adult individuals actively living their lives. Where a person did not have the mental capacity to make particular choices and decisions, staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to ensure the person was nonetheless involved in the decision as much as they could be.
With support from staff, people had access to a range of their preferred activities at home and in the wider community. They were encouraged to maintain relationships with friends and family members who were important to them.
The service had a homely atmosphere and people used communal areas in a confident manner, knowing where they could find what they needed without seeking permission from staff. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible, whilst any risks this posed were assessed and managed safely. Staff supported people to do things for themselves rather than simply taking over from them because this was easier.
People were supported by staff who understood their care and support needs. Staff were themselves well supported through training, supervision and ad hoc support from the registered manager and senior staff. Staff morale was good; staff members commented that the service’s management were approachable and that they were part of a supportive team.
There was a robust quality assurance system to help ensure the service maintained and improved on its high standards. Regular checks were undertaken by the registered manager, by their manager and by the provider’s quality department. Any matters raised were addressed promptly.