Archived: Leighswood

Updated 10 October 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by three inspectors. Two inspectors visited the home on the 9 September 2020, one inspector undertook telephone calls to staff and relatives on 9, 10 and 11 September 2020.

Service and service type

Leighswood is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short notice period of 24 hours before the inspection because of the risks associated with COVID19. This meant that we could discuss how to ensure everyone remained safe during the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

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

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff, the deputy manager, registered manager, provider and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records, and three people’s medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment. We also looked at records that related to the management and quality assurance of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 10 October 2020

About the service

Leighswood is a residential care home providing personal care and accommodation to people aged 65 and over who may also be living with dementia. The care home is registered to provide support to 23 people in one adapted building, at the time of inspection 14 people lived at the home.

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

Enough improvements had been made to the home to meet the previous breaches of regulations. The environment had been redecorated in several areas and new bathrooms and toilets had been fitted. We found the environment to be safe for people to use. The garden had been cleared and was now accessible for people to enjoy. Further improvements were planned to make the environment more dementia friendly.

People told us they felt safe, and relatives had no concerns about their loved one’s safety. Staff had received refresher training about how to escalate concerns and were aware of potential risks when providing support. People received their medicines when they needed them. Staff were following current guidance and wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment.

Improvements were ongoing to ensure care records reflected people’s needs and preferences, and to provide meaningful activities that met individual needs. Systems were in place for people and relatives to raise any concerns.

People and relatives thought the management team were approachable and positive comments were received. People and relatives confirmed they had been consulted about the running of the home and the improvement’s that had been made. Audits were in place and these were used to check the standards in the home, to monitor the ongoing improvements, and to ensure people received safe care.

Rating at last inspection (and update) The last rating for this service was Inadequate (published 26 February 2020) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve the breaches in relation to good governance, premises and equipment and person-centred care.

This service has been in Special Measures since February 2020. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from Inadequate to Requires Improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

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