The Lawns

Updated 3 March 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 19 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the provider 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 3 March 2022

The Lawns is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. There were 27 people of various ages living at The Lawns with multiple complex physical and health conditions. People either lived in the main house or adjourning wing or annexe.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

Feedback from people and their relatives was overwhelmingly positive. They complimented the caring nature of staff and felt that the service was well-led. They praised the approach of staff and stated that they felt their relatives were safe living at The Lawns. The registered managers, values and vison were embedded into the care practices of staff.

People’s needs had been assessed and their support requirements were recorded in detail to provide staff with the guidance they needed to support people. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Effective systems were in place to manage people’s medicines so that they received them safely and on time. People were supported to access health care services and to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The home had been accredited for the quality of their end of life care.

Sufficient numbers of staff were available to ensure people’s safety and well-being. New staff were suitably vetted and trained before they supported people. Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and had been trained to carry out their role. Staff told us they felt supported and trained and had access to the information they needed to support people. They understood their responsibility to report concerns and poor practices.

The registered manager worked alongside staff which enabled them to have a good understanding of people’s current needs. An established staff team knew people well and could tell us about people’s support requirements and their backgrounds. People’s records were detailed, however some old information in the care plans may cause confusion and put people at risk. We were assured that plans were in place to review people’s care records and to also add more detail about the outcome of people’s assessments, consent to care and personal histories. We have made a recommendation about the management of people’s care records.

Systems were in place to identify shortfalls in the service and drive improvement. People and their relative’s views were valued and acted if any concerns had been identified.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.