• Care Home
  • Care home

Longcroft

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

58 Westbourne Road, Lancaster, Lancashire, LA1 5EF (01524) 64950

Provided and run by:
Langley Trust

Important: The provider of this service changed - see old profile

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of assessment: 30 April to 7 May 2025. All the quality statements were reviewed at this assessment.

 

Longcroft is a care home providing care and support for up to 15 men with an offending background. In addition people may have, mental health needs learning disabilities or autism. The home is a large, detached property set in extensive gardens. People living in the home need to be able to use stairs because all bedrooms are upstairs. Some people were supported to develop their independence and move on, though some may live in the home long term. At the time of our inspection there were 14 people living in the home, not everyone received the regulated activity of personal care. We have only reviewed the care and support records in relation to the 2 people who received personal care.

 

We assessed the service against ‘Right support, right care, right culture.’ This guidance supported judgements about whether the provider guaranteed people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choice, independence, and access to local communities that most people take for granted. Though there were no autistic people or people with a learning disability who received personal care, we found the service had demonstrated a clear understanding of this guidance and had met the requirements of these principles.

People were supported to be safe and were protected from avoidable harm. Robust systems were in place to help people to manage risks in their day to day lives. People were supported to understand and adhere to any conditions which helped to minimise risks when accessing community activities.

People were supported by enough, safely recruited staff who were skilled and knowledgeable about their roles. Staff received high-quality induction and ongoing training. Staff said they felt safe at work and were well supported by the management team.

The home was safely maintained, all necessary safety checks had been completed in relation to the premises. Infection prevention control risks were safely managed.

People’s needs had been comprehensively assessed to ensure the provider was able to meet their needs and to facilitate safe transitions between services. People were involved in their assessments and in the development of their care plans. Care plans included information and advice from other professionals. Staff had access to care plans and found them informative. People’s care and support plans were reviewed and updated regularly. People could meet with their key worker to discuss their support needs and any other matter that was important to them.

People were supported maintain their health. Staff supported people to access healthcare and promoted healthy life choices. People had been encouraged to review their health needs and to set and achieve better outcomes.

People were consulted and supported to give consent to their care and support. Where people did not have the capacity to make some decisions, they had been supported through the appropriate legal processes including mental capacity assessments, best interest decisions and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People had access to advocates and told us they could speak to them when they needed to. People told us they felt able to raise any concerns and challenge decisions they did not agree with.

People were supported by kind and compassionate staff who were committed to supporting people to achieve positive outcomes. People told us staff were polite and kind. People were encouraged to make choices and set goals to develop their independence at a pace that suited them best. People’s views were valued by staff and leaders who provided several ways for people to express their views. The provider ensured all staff and leaders felt valued and respected in their roles. Staff praised how well supported they felt.

People received high-quality person-centred care throughout all aspect of their care and support. People were supported by staff to develop and achieve their goals. The activities coordinator worked with people to develop individual and meaningful opportunities for people which reflected their preferences and aspirations. People had been supported to overcome any obstacles they might face to achieve equitable outcomes in relation to their care and support and access to community resources and activities.

The home was overseen by skilled and compassionate leaders who were committed to the organisation’s key values and culture. The registered manager and staff demonstrated inclusivity and respect throughout all aspects of their work. People were encouraged to speak up and raise anything that was important to them. Leaders ensured people had a variety of opportunities to share their views. The registered manager was well supported by the providers senior management team and had maintained good oversight of the quality of care, records and premises. The registered manager and staff team worked in close partnership with other agencies and stakeholders which helped ensure consistent care. The provider and staff team were committed to continuous learning and improvement. They held a gold Investors in People award and were working toward achieving an accredited Enabling Environments award.

6 March 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service:

Longcroft is a spacious building situated in Lancatser. It provides accommodation for up to 14 men who are offenders with mental health conditions. At the time of our inspection the home had 12 people living there. Accommodation is provided over three floors, and includes three communal spaces and a dining room.

People’s experience of using this service:

People told us they felt safe, secure and comfortable at the home. One person explained the stepped admission to the home helped them to feel safe and added, “By the time I came into the home full time I felt much more relaxed, confident and reassured.” When we discussed safeguarding responsibilities with staff, they demonstrated a good understanding, including about reporting procedures.

People confirmed there were adequate staff numbers to meet their requirements in a timely way. Personnel files we reviewed contained required checks to ensure employees were safely recruited and suitable to work with vulnerable adults.

Care records held risk assessments intended to reduce the potential risk of inappropriate care, harm or injury. The management team had good procedures to monitor and reduce incidents.

People told us they received their medicines on time and safely. One person said, “The staff make sure I get my medication on time. They have never failed with that.” The registered manager ensured staff had training and competency-testing to underpin their related skills.

Staff confirmed they had a range of training to underpin their skills and experience. One employee commented, “I was really surprised about how much training is on offer, it's really good.”

We observed people had a wide range of choice and sufficient portions at mealtimes. Staff completed food safety training as part of the hygienic preparation of meals.

Care records we looked at evidenced a multi-disciplinary approach to each person’s continuity of care. We noted, where required, people were referred in a timely way to other services to meet their ongoing needs.

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. A person told us, “All along the way my keyworker has consulted with me and we agree together about what might help and what sort of support I need.”

We observed staff consistently interacted with those who lived at Longcroft in a caring and friendly way. One person said, “The staff we have are really friendly, but professional.”

Care records we looked at showed staff used a person-centred approach to the assessment and ongoing planning of people’s support. Documentation evidenced each person was at the heart of their support planning, which focused on maximising their independence. One person said, “I have had a lot of disruption in my life and my plan is all about getting me back on track.”

People told us Longcroft was well-organised and had good leadership. They and personnel stated the management team involved them in the ongoing development of the home. A staff member commented, “The new managers are good, they are really supportive and there have been some good, positive changes to improve us as a service.”

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 02 March 2017).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any issues or concerns are identified we may inspect sooner.

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

18 January 2017

During a routine inspection

This inspection visit took place at Longcroft on 18 January 2017 and was announced. We told the registered manager before our visit that we would be coming. We did this to ensure we had access to the main office and the management team were available.

Longcroft is a small care home in Lancaster managed by the Langley House Trust. It provides accommodation for up to 14 men with mental health illness. Car parking facilities are available on site. At the time of the inspection there were 13 people who lived at the home.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

We found the service had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood the process and procedure to follow.

There were appropriate numbers of skilled staff deployed to meet the needs of the people who lived at the home. They included mental health professionals and social workers. Staff had been safely recruited and were supported by the management team.

Thorough risk assessments had been developed to minimise the potential risk of harm to people whilst out in the community and within the service. These had been kept under review and had been reviewed with the individual at the centre of decision making.

Staff responsible for assisting people with their medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. People told us they received their medicines at the times they needed them.

The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff showed a good knowledge of the people they supported and their capacity to make decisions. The staff we spoke with were able to describe how individual people preferred their support to be delivered and the importance of treating people with respect.

People were supported by caring staff who were supportive and respectful. One person who lived at the home said, “It helps to have someone you can turn to, trust and support you individually.”

Staff knew people they supported and provided a personalised service. Care plans were in place detailing how people wished to be supported whilst promoting independence. People who lived at Longcroft were involved in making decisions about support and guidance they required.

People were provided with support to meet their aims and goals. For example staff provided guidance and support for people who wished to live independently, further their education or employment opportunities.

We found people had access to healthcare, mental health services and social care professionals and their healthcare needs were met.

People who lived at the home knew how to raise a concern or to make a complaint. The complaints procedure was available and people said they were encouraged to raise concerns.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included resident meetings, quality audits and staff meetings.

27 June 2013

During a routine inspection

At the last inspection in October 2012, we found Longcroft compliant in all the areas we inspected. At this inspection we met with the deputy manager and third in charge for Longcroft, and also the Head of Quality and Compliance for the Langley House Trust. We spoke with one resident who was in the home at the time, and examined documentary evidence.

We found that the home was well run in the best interests of the residents. We found that within the restrictions of the law, people were offered choices about how they were cared for and treated. Care assessments were comprehensive and translated into useful support plans. People who lived in the home were encouraged and supported to take responsibility for their own lives. There was a wide range of activities and opportunities for adult learning. Residents took responsibility for their own rooms, including the cleaning. However, staff looked at these regularly to ensure that acceptable levels of tidiness and cleanliness were maintained to avoid risk of accident or infection. The home was generally clean, with some minor issues needing attention.

Staff were well trained, supervised and supported, and there was a good staff to resident ratio. Supervision standards were for ten meetings a year. Appraisals were being introduced. Management oversight by the Langley House Trust was robust and maintained high standards. We found this to be an improving organisation with plans in place to ensure standards remained high.

26 September 2012

During a routine inspection

We spoke with both service users and staff, and observed activities at Longcroft. We saw that residents had high level, individual needs and that this was matched by high staff ratios. We found both staff and management committed and open. On the day of the inspection, the atmosphere was calm and residents engaged in a range of activities, from crossword, gardening and woodwork. Some were out. Residents we spoke with expressed satisfaction with their care, accommodation and food. Medication was handled safely. The Langley House Trust monitored the quality of its services through its regional structure.