The Loont

Updated 22 October 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

The Loont is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. The Loont is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with and observed the care and support of three people who were staying at the home. We also spoke with one person’s relative and a health and social care professional who was working with two people staying at the home. We spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and a sample of people’s medication records. We look at a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 22 October 2022

About the service

The Loont is a short stay residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to a maximum of five people in one adapted domestic style building.

The service provides support to people with a physical or learning disability who had been identified as benefiting from a short stay at the home. At the time of our inspection three people were using the service.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

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

Right Support:

Each person’s care and support had been planned to help ensure it met their needs and preferences. People and their family members were involved in planning the care needed when staying at the home. This helped ensure it met their needs and preferences.

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.

Right Care:

Staff treated people well and respected them. People told us they were treated well, liked the staff supporting them and had made friends with other people staying at the home.

Staff treated people with respect and actively promoted their dignity and independence.

Staff members had very positive relationships with people and it was evident that they wanted people to do well. We observed staff and people staying at the home enjoying each other’s company and engaging with each other in a friendly and everyday manner.

Right Culture:

The provider had not always been effective in monitoring the safety and quality of the service being provided. This meant that people had been exposed to an increased risk of harm.

We made a recommendation regarding the use of risk assessments at the home.

The support people had received at the home had helped them to achieve good outcomes. Some people had been supported to access health and social care services and regain skills they may have lost during their time at The Loont. This meant that many people were able to achieve good outcomes and be in a better situation to be able to move into more independent living arrangements.

There was a positive culture at the home that people had benefited from. The home was in a domestic setting and felt relaxed and homely; the lounge area was pleasant, inviting and well decorated. People told us that they enjoyed being at the home and found it relaxing. One person told us, “I like being here.”

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 12 February 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This is a newly registered service that had not previously been inspected.

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 COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Enforcement and Recommendations

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 and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches at this inspection in relation to ensuring the home had a safe environment and ongoing monitoring of the safety and quality of the service by the provider. Please see the, Is the service safe? And Is the service well-led? sections of this full report.

The provider took some immediate action to mitigate risk. However, you can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from 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 continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.