Lansdowne Road

Updated 14 December 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 7 November 2018 and was announced. The provider was given 24 hours’ notice so that key people could be available to participate in the inspection and people could be made aware that we would be visiting the service. Two inspectors undertook the inspection. This service was selected to be part of our national review, looking at the quality of oral health care support for people living in care homes. The inspection team included a dental inspector who looked in detail at how well the service supported people with their oral health. This includes support with oral hygiene and access to dentists. We will publish our national report of our findings and recommendations in 2019.

The provider had completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at other information we held about the service. This included previous inspection reports and notifications. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the service must inform us about. We contacted the local authority commissioning team to ask them about their experiences of the service provided and four visiting health and social care professionals, and received two responses.

Not everyone was able to tell us their experiences of the care and support provided. We spoke with four people individually. We spent time observing how people were cared for and supported and their interactions with staff to understand their experience of living in the service. We observed the lunchtime experience and sat in for part of a handover meeting. We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager and three care staff. We also spoke with two relatives and a visiting healthcare professional. We spent time looking at records, including three people’s care and support records, three staff recruitment files, staff training records, and other records relating to the management of the service, such as policies and procedures, accident/incident recording and audit documentation. We also ‘pathway tracked’ the care for two people using the service. This is where we check that the care detailed in individual plans matches the experience of the person receiving care. It was an important part of our inspection, as it allowed us to capture information about people receiving care.

We previously carried out a comprehensive inspection on 16 March 2016 and rated the service overall ‘Good’.

Updated 14 December 2018

The inspection took place on the 7 November 2018 and was announced.

Lansdowne Road is one of a number of services provided by the Frances Taylor Foundation, a faith based organisation. Lansdown Road 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. Lansdown Road was designed, built and registered before the Care Quality Commission (CQC) ‘Registering the Right Support’ policy and other best practice guidance was published. The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. Care and support is provided for up to nine for people with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection nine people were living in the service. The service is situated in a residential area with easy access to local amenities and transport links.

At our last inspection on 16 March 2016 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 ongoing 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.

Systems had been maintained to keep people safe. The building and equipment had been subject to regular maintenance checks. Infection control procedures were in place. People remained protected from the risk of abuse because staff understood how to identify and report it. People’s care and support plans and risk assessments continued to be developed and reviewed regularly. Medicines were stored correctly and there were systems to manage medicine safely. Issues in relation to medicines highlighted as needing improvement at the last inspection had been addressed.

People and their relatives told us they had continued to feel involved and listened to. The culture of the service remained open and inclusive and encouraged staff to see beyond each person's support needs. The registered manager worked with care staff to develop the service with people at the heart of the service. People had detailed care and support plans which had been regularly reviewed.

A robust recruitment process had been followed and there was ongoing recruitment to maintain sufficient staffing levels. Staff continued to have the knowledge and skills to provide the care and support that people needed. Staff told us they felt well supported and had received supervision and appraisal’s.

People continued to live in a service with a relaxed and homely feel. They were supported by kind and caring staff who treated them with respect and dignity. A relative told us, “The staff here are very nice.” They were spoken with and supported in a sensitive, respectful and professional manner. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Staff had a good understanding of consent.

People were supported with their food and drink and this was monitored regularly. People continued to be supported to maintain good health and access healthcare professionals when needed.

Care and support plans were detailed and had been reviewed to ensure any changes in people’s support needs had been identified. People had been supported to join in a range of activities.

People, relatives, staff and visiting health and social care professionals told us the service continued to be well led. Staff told us the registered manager was always approachable and had an open-door policy if they required some advice or needed to discuss something. A system had been maintained to respond to any concerns raised. Senior staff had carried out a range of internal quality assurance audits to ensure the quality of the care and support provided. People and their relatives were regularly consulted about the care provided through reviews, residents meetings and by using quality assurance questionnaires. Relatives told us staff kept in touch with them.