Littlewood Manor Care Home

Updated 12 November 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 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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

Littlewood Manor 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.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced. Inspection activity started on 18 October 2022 and ended on 21 October 2022.

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 commissioners who work with the service. We also looked at information we had received and held on our system about the service, this included notifications sent to us by the provider and information passed to us by members of the public. The provider did not complete the required Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who lived at Littlewood Manor, one relative of a person, eight members of staff including senior management and the registered manager. In addition, we spoke with a visiting professional. We observed staff interaction with people, also, we reviewed a range of records. These included care records of people, medication records, two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff training records. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service. We had a walk around the premises and looked at infection control measures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the manager to validate evidence found. We looked at their quality assurance systems the manager had in place.

Updated 12 November 2022

About the service

Littlewood Manor provides accommodation for up to 54 older people, including people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection 41 people lived at the home.

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

Recruitment systems were in place, however, systems for staff employment needed to be more robust to ensure all checks were completed. We have made a recommendation about this. The building was clean and hygienic, and staff were seen to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Sufficient care and domestic were deployed to meet people’s needs. A visiting professional said, “The place is kept very clean and well-maintained staff do a great job.” Safeguarding training was mandatory, and staff were aware of the processes to follow to enable people to keep safe. Risks were assessed and carefully monitored to ensure individuals safety. People received their medicines safely.

The aim of the management and staff team was to provide an emphasis on promoting dignity, respect and independence for people supported by the service. They told us they were treated as individuals and received the attention they required. A relative said, “They do treat [relative] with care and dignity. We observed staff spent time with people and comments found staff to be patient and caring. One person said, “They always have time to sit and chat, whenever you need a member of staff they are there.”

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. People's care and support had been planned proactively and in partnership with them. People felt consulted and listened to about how their care would be delivered. Care plans were organised and had identified the care and support people required. Mealtimes were relaxed and organised around people's individual daily routines. One person said, “The food is varied and lovely, home cooking which I like.” There was a programme of staff training and regular updates were documented for staff to attend courses on site with the in-house training staff.

People were supported to have access to healthcare professionals and their healthcare needs had been met. The service worked in partnership with other organisations to ensure they followed good practice and people in their care were safe. The services had a complaints procedure which was made available to people and their family when they commenced using the service. Activities were varied, staff had worked hard with people to provide meaningful social activities to provide stimulation and exercise.

The management team had auditing systems to maintain ongoing oversight of Littlewood Manor and make improvements where necessary. Surveys had been introduced for staff, people and their relatives. However more frequent methods of gathering people’s views formally were in the process of being introduced by the management team.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The service was registered with us on 23 March 2022 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was requires improvement, published on 02 September 2019.

Why we inspected

This was a planned first inspection based on their registration.

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.

Follow Up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.