Background to this inspection
Updated
19 November 2020
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 coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes. The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control.
This inspection took place on 09 November 2020 and was announced.
Updated
19 November 2020
The service provides accommodation and personal care for up to 79 adults of all ages who may be living with dementia and/or physical disability. The home is a conversion of an old school building and has retained the front façade. All accommodation is provided on one floor and there are three units; the main residential unit and two further units (Haven North and South), for people living with dementia. There are 69 single en-suite rooms and five suites which can be used as shared accommodation. The service has an extensive variety of communal areas and facilities. There were 53 people using the service when we visited. This was the first inspection of the service since it was registered and opened in September 2016.
The service was managed by an accomplished, knowledgeable and highly motivated registered manager. 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. They were supported by a home manager who had day to day oversight of the service working closely with the unit managers.
The provider’s values for the home were ‘freedom of choice, maximum independence, autonomy, privacy and the right to be treated with dignity and respect.’ These qualities were clearly demonstrated throughout our visit. People’s needs, abilities and aspirations were the focus and shaped their care and the service, this ensured Lindsey Hall was very much ‘resident-led.’
The provider and management team demonstrated a very open, reflective leadership style working in partnership with other stakeholders to drive continual improvement within the service and local community. Feedback from healthcare professionals cited collaborative and very effective working relationships.
The service was effectively organised and well-run with a very open and transparent culture. Through a very comprehensive review and audit programme the provider and management team continually assessed and monitored aspects of the service. Strong emphasis was placed on continually developing and improving the service in response to people’s feedback. People felt listened to and very assured any complaints they made would be taken seriously and acted upon.
The provider, management and staff teams were dedicated to providing care which met the highest of standards and strived for excellence keeping people at the heart of the service. The service was recognised by schemes which reward quality, for example, achieving a Healthcare Design Award and as a finalist in the upcoming national Caring UK Awards.
There was a truly friendly and open atmosphere on entering the premises; everyone was welcomed warmly and courteously. All areas of Lindsey Hall had been designed for the needs of people who used the service and there were specific areas and facilities to promote the independence and wellbeing of people who lived with dementia. We observed that this was a safe home with an exceptionally well-designed layout enabling people, visitors and staff to move freely within the environment and its grounds safely. Everyone we spoke with considered the environment was of an exceptional standard.
The service was committed to ensuring strong links with the community and placed a strong emphasis on enhancing people’s lives through the provision of meaningful, imaginative activities and opportunities. People’s individual lifestyle choices were really embraced and they maintained positive links with their community and those relationships important to them. People told us they felt involved and their participation in the range of activities had a very positive impact on their health and wellbeing.
People received outstanding care and support from a well-trained, well-supported and motivated group of staff. The provider valued training and development of staff and this was evident in the quality of the training programmes provided. We saw emphasis had been given to resourcing training in person-centred care and dementia. Staff were very enthusiastic, enjoyed their jobs and understood their roles and responsibilities. They were proud of where they worked and committed to delivering a high standard of care. They shared positive experiences about the way the service was managed, how they were supported and encouraged to professionally develop.
People were supported with care and compassion and people’s preferences and wishes were at the heart of the care and support the service provided. There was a very strong culture within the home of treating people with respect. The staff and managers were always visible and listened to people and their relatives, empathised with them, offered them choice and made them feel that they mattered. The staff worked in partnership with people and their relatives to plan people’s care. We found care records were personalised and contained detailed information about what was important to people. People were extremely happy with the care they received.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. When restrictions on people's liberty were necessary the manager had ensured the correct applications had been made to protect each person's legal rights.
People received on-going healthcare support from a range of external healthcare professionals. People’s health and nutrition were effectively monitored and responded to in line with nationally recognised best practice. The service demonstrated creative and person centred ways of meeting people's hydration and nutritional needs and achieved positive outcomes. The provider and management team took a pro-active approach to ensuring people who lived with dementia received care based on best practice.
People felt safe living at the home and procedures were in place to protect them from harm. Staff were knowledgeable about the risks associated with people’s care. Risk assessments and management plans contained clear guidance to instruct staff on keeping people safe. We saw people received their medicines as prescribed. Medicines were ordered in a timely way, stored safely and only administered by staff who had completed training.
The provider's recruitment processes ensured suitable staff were employed and we found there were good levels of staff available to provide support to people when needed.