Ling Crescent

Updated 8 July 2023

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 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Ling Crescent 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. Ling Crescent 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 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 however they were not currently at work. A manager registered to another of the provider’s services was working in the service to support the team. We refer to this person as the manager throughout the report.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 31 May 2023 and ended on 19 June 2023. We visited the location’s service on 31 May 2023, 5 June 2023, and 6 June 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 spent time in shared spaces with 4 people; getting feedback and observing the quality of care and support they received. This helped us to understand the experiences of people who we were unable to effectively communicate with. We received feedback from 1 relative about their experience of the care provided. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed. We spoke with 6 members of staff including the operations manager, the manager, another member of the management team and 3 care workers.

Updated 8 July 2023

About the service

Ling Crescent is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 6 people. The service provides support to people who live with learning disabilities and autistic people in 1 adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were 4 people using the service.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence, and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

Based on our review of key questions safe, effective, caring, responsive, and well-led, the provider was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support: 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. However, mental capacity assessments and best interest meetings had not always been documented fully. The manager had identified this and was in the process of making improvements at the time of our inspection. We were assured the provider had a robust plan in place and found no negative impact on people.

Right Care: People were supported safely with their medicines. Staff were recruited safely and had the correct training. People's support plans were person centred and reflected their range of needs, and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. People took part in activities and pursued interests that were tailored to them. People had privacy for themselves and their visitors in their bedrooms.

Right Culture: The ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive, and empowered lives. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect, and inclusivity.

The provider was reviewing people's care plans and risk assessments to ensure information was up to date.

The provider sought feedback on the service it provided, this information and outcomes were used to drive improvement.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (Published 29 November 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident in which a person using the service died following a fall from height. This incident is subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident. However, the information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about the management of risk of risk of falls. This inspection examined those risks.

Following this incident, the provider completed a full review of safety for all people living in the service.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Ling Crescent on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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