The Care Quality Commission
  • Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: The Limes 1

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

5 Church Lane, Littleport, Ely, Cambridgeshire, CB6 1PS (01353) 863194

Provided and run by:
Making Space

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

2 November 2020

During an inspection looking at part of the service

The Limes 1 is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement.

The Limes 1 is registered to accommodate up to 22 people in one adapted building over two floors. At the time of this inspection there were 18 people living in the home.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Staff ensured that any visitors to the service, including professional visitors and contractors, had their temperature taken on arrival. Visitors wore full PPE (personal protective equipment) throughout the duration of their visit.

People living in the service met with their friends and family outside in the community. People were also supported to use a range of technology to keep in touch with their friends and relatives, such as video calls. Most of the people living in the service also had their own mobile phone.

The building was extremely clean, hygienic and odourless. The registered manager had arranged for regular deep cleans of the building, including the walls, floors and soft furnishings.

The registered manager had also obtained an ‘anti-viral fogging machine’ to be used throughout the building. This is a special machine which lets out an anti-bacterial mist, designed to destroy viruses in the air or on surfaces.

Staff working in the service were well supported by senior staff. All staff had received training in PPE and infection prevention and control (IPC) and this was updated regularly. Senior nursing staff and domestic staff had also completed the next level of training in IPC.

The registered manager had introduced an ‘Extra-Ordinary’ PPE supervision for staff. This was an additional one to one meeting for staff and their manager to review the staff members competency in the use of PPE. Staff also received competency checks on their use of PPE and hand-washing techniques.

10 April 2018

During a routine inspection

The Limes 1 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 Limes 1 is registered to accommodate up to 22 people in one adapted building over two floors. At the time of this inspection there were 18 people living in the home and one person in hospital.

At our last inspection in November 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

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At this unannounced inspection on 10 April 2018 we found the service remained Good.

A registered manager was in post. 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.

People remained safe because staff understood their roles and responsibilities in relation to keeping people safe from harm and abuse. Potential risks to people had been recognised and information on how to minimise risks had been recorded. Medicines were managed safely. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s support needs.

People received an effective service because their needs were met by staff who were well trained and supported to do their job. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice. People's nutritional needs were met by staff who knew each person's needs well. People’s health and wellbeing was maintained and provided through a range of health and social care professionals.

People received very good care because staff treated people with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect. People had choices in all aspects of their daily lives and were able to continue with interests and friendships outside the home. Staff ensured people remained as independent as possible.

People received a service that was responsive because staff knew people’s care and support needs and helped them to make the lifestyle choices they wanted. People were involved in their personalised care plans and reviews. These gave staff the information they needed to provide the care and support each person needed. People were encouraged to take part in a range of activities that they enjoyed, some were planned and others were the choice of the person at that time, which helped prevent social isolation. Complaints had been investigated and measures put in place to improve the service.

People received a service that was well led because there was a registered provider in post who was approachable and provided good leadership. Quality assurance systems were in place to check that the service provided quality care and made improvements where necessary. People and staff were encouraged to share their views about the service being provided.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

19 November 2015

During a routine inspection

The Limes 1 is registered to provide accommodation and nursing care for up to 22 people. There were 19 people living in the home when we visited. Accommodation is provided over two floors. There are communal toilets and bathrooms for people to use. All bedrooms are for single occupancy with some having ensuite facilities. There are communal areas, including lounge areas, a dining room and a large garden area for people and their guests to use.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People told us that they felt safe living at the home. Staff were knowledgeable about the procedures to ensure that people were protected from harm. Staff were also aware of whistleblowing procedures and would have no hesitation in reporting any concerns. People received their medication as prescribed.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff employed at the home. There were effective recruitment procedures in place to ensure that only suitable staff were employed at the home.

The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. We found that the registered manager and all staff were knowledgeable about when a request for a DoLS application would be required. The registered manager told us that there was an application which has recently been submitted to the relevant local authorities and they were awaiting the outcome.

Staff respected and maintained people’s privacy at all times. People were provided with care and support as required and people did not have to wait for long periods of time before having their care needs met. This meant that people’s dignity was respected and that their care needs were met in a timely manner.

People’s assessed care and support needs were planned and met by staff who had a good understanding of how and when to provide people’s care whilst respecting their independence. Care records were detailed and up to date so that staff were provided with guidelines to care for people in the right way.

People were supported to access a range of health care professionals. Examples included appointments with their GP and a chiropodist. Risk assessments were in place to ensure that people could be safely supported at all times.

People were provided with a varied menu and had a range of meals and healthy options to choose from. There was a sufficient quantity of food and drinks and snacks made available to people at all times.

People’s care was provided by staff in a respectful, caring, kind and compassionate way. People’s hobbies and interests had been identified and staff supported people to take part in their chosen hobbies and or interests to prevent them from becoming socially isolated.

The home had a complaints procedure available for people and their relatives to use and all staff were aware of the procedure. Prompt action was taken to address people’s concerns and prevent any potential for recurrence.

There was an open culture within the home and people were freely able to talk and raise any issues with the registered manager and staff team. People, staff and stakeholders were provided with several ways that they could comment on the quality of their care. This included regular contact with the provider, registered manager, staff and completing annual quality assurance surveys.

24/04/2014

During a routine inspection

The Limes 1 is a care home with nursing providing accommodation for up to 22 people. The service provides care and support to adults who have a learning disability, a mental health illness or physical disability. There is a registered manager at the service.

People told us that they felt safe living at The Limes and if they had any concerns about how they were treated they would discuss it with a staff member or the manager. The manager had taken reasonable steps to reduce the risk of abuse happening and had made staff aware of the policies and procedures they should follow if they suspected any abuse had taken place.

People confirmed that they had been involved in the assessment of their needs and in writing their care plans. People’s preferences and needs were recorded in their care plans and staff were following the plans in practice. Staff knew people and what their likes and dislikes were. Risks to people were assessed and where possible reduced. There was a "handover" at the beginning of each shift so that staff were aware of any issues or changes that had taken place. If needed people were referred to other health care professionals for support.

People commented that they thought the staff were caring and supported them when needed. One person told us, "Staff get to know us and build a relationship". We observed staff working with people in a kind and caring manner. People told us that they could make decisions about what they wanted to do and that they attended, "Resident’s meetings" to discuss any issues, concerns or ideas.

The home followed a robust recruitment procedure to ensure that the right people were employed. Staff received the training and support they needed so that they were aware of how they should meet people needs in an effective way.

We found that there were systems in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff had a good working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and this had been used to complete assessments and to make best interest decisions where appropriate for people living at The Limes.

The manager decided on the staffing levels according to people’s needs and preferences. People told us that there was always a member of staff to support them when they needed it.

Staff and people living at The Limes confirmed that the manager was approachable and supportive. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities. There were management systems in place to audit the care being delivered and the environment so that any improvements could be made where necessary. Staff meetings had been held on a regular basis so that best practice, any issues and new guidance could be discussed. There was a culture of learning from mistakes, complaints, accidents and incidents and this information was shared with the staff team.

1 August 2013

During a routine inspection

People said that staff members were polite, kind and respectful. They confirmed that their privacy and dignity was usually respected.

People received the care and support they required to improve their health and well-being. Care records were written in detail and provided clear guidance to staff members.

Medicines were stored appropriately. Administration records were kept and people normally received their medicines in a safe way.

Staff members received supervision and training to ensure that they had the required skills and support to properly carry out their roles when providing care for people.

Systems were in place to regularly check and monitor the way the service was run.

10 January 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We visited on 10 January 2013 to check compliance with two warning notices that had been issued in November 2012.

We found that both warning notices had been complied with as the provider had made suitable arrangements to ensure that people who used the service were safeguarded against the risk of abuse and that staff were receiving appropriate training to enable them to deliver care and treatment to people safely.

7 November 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

As this was a follow up visit to see if improvements had been made we did not talk with people who use the service.

As a result of our inspection on 12 July 2012 we set three compliance actions. The compliance actions were in relation to safeguarding people who used the service from abuse, supporting the workers so that they had the knowledge and skills they required to meet people needs and maintaining accurate records (specifically training records).

During this inspection we found that there had been improvements made to maintaining the training records. However, people were still being placed at risk from abuse and staff had not been provided with training that was appropriate to their role and that enabled them to meet the needs of people who lived at the home.

12 July 2012

During a routine inspection

People told us that they were happy living in the home and that they felt safe there. They also told us that they liked the staff and could,"Have a laugh" with them. One person told us that they did have certain restrictions placed on them but that they understood why. One person said, 'The staff are very kind".

The relative of one person told us that if there were any changes to their relative's health the staff responded to them. For example, their relative was not eating very big amounts so they were regularly being offered food supplement drinks.

28 February 2012

During a routine inspection

We used some different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service including talking with some people who used the service and observing support being provided. Some of the people had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us their experiences. We spoke with two individuals and a small group of people who used the service during their lunchtime. They made positive comments about the food provided at the home and valued support that was given to them by the care staff. We observed good interaction between staff and people using the service.