Archived: The Lawns Care Home

The Lawns is a modern, purpose built care home for up to 62 people, including people with dementia care and personal care needs. On the day of our inspection 35 people were living at The Lawns. There are two floors with lift access, several lounge and dining areas. The home has a lawned garden area and ample car parking.

At the time of our inspection the service had a manager who had submitted an application to register with the Care Quality Commission.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on looking at records and from speaking with people who used the service in their own flats, relatives and staff.

People’s needs were assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care needs. The care plans contained a good level of information setting out exactly how each person should be supported to ensure their needs were met. Care and support was tailored to meet people individual needs and staff knew people well. The care plans included risk assessments. Staff had good relationships with the people who used at the service and the atmosphere was happy and relaxed.

People who used the service and their families had contributed their opinions and preferences in relation to how support was delivered. We found that people were involved in most decisions about the care and support they received. We spoke with staff and saw they understood people’s care and support needs.

We were told people’s privacy and dignity was respected when staff supported people with their personal support needs.

The manager told us they were confident that all the staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People’s choices and decisions were respected. Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) is law protecting people who are unable to make decisions for themselves. There were no DoLS currently in place; however, the registered manager knew the correct procedures to follow to ensure people’s rights were protected.

We observed people were cared for in a clean, hygienic environment. However, some bathrooms areas and equipment were not clean and some of the home’s policies and procedures had not been followed. We also noted the infection control audit for March 2014 had not identified these issues. This was rectified by the regional manager on the day of our inspection.

We found people were cared for, or supported by, sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff. Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began work. This included obtaining references from previous employers to show staff employed were safe to work with vulnerable people.

People were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition and dehydration.

Everyone we spoke to said they would be confident to make a complaint, should this be required. Staff members told us that they would support people if they wanted to complain. We found the service learnt from any complaints made and investigations were thorough and objective.

The provider had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service. People had a chance to say what they thought about the service and the feedback gave the provider an opportunity for learning or improvement.