Lifestyles

Updated 15 September 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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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 completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

Lifestyles 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. Lifestyles 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We requested feedback from the local authority contract team. We also looked at information sent to us since the service registered such as notifications about accidents, incidents and safeguarding alerts. 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 spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, three support workers and one personal assistant to the registered manager. We also spoke with three people who used the service and two relatives. We received feedback from two health and social care professionals who had recently worked with the service.

We looked around the home to review the facilities available for people and the infection prevention and control procedures in place. We also looked at a range of documentation including care files and daily records for three people and medication administration records for four people. We looked at two staff recruitment files and reviewed documentation relating to the management and running of the service such as audits, service safety records, and policies.

Updated 15 September 2022

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance the Care Quality Commission (CQC) follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

About the service

Lifestyles is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 19 people. The service can support people with mental health needs, a learning disability and autistic people and people with a sensory impairment. At the time of the inspection, 18 people were using the service.

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

The service demonstrated how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

Right Support

People achieved their goals and positive outcomes through accessing a wide variety of opportunities and activities with the support of dedicated staff.

People’s independence was promoted as staff encouraged choice, control and inclusion in the local community.

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.

The home was clean and regularly maintained. Staff wore personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriately which helped to protect people from the risk of infection.

Right Care

Staff maintained professional boundaries and kept people safe, as they understood how to protect people from harm and abuse.

People were protected by the provider's recruitment processes as appropriate checks were completed; ensuring staff were suitable to work with people who used the service.

Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were well managed by staff and clearly recorded in people’s care plans. People’s independence was promoted through appropriate support for people to take positive risks. People took part in a wide range of activities and interests in the local community.

Right culture

The service was well-led and the registered manager promoted a positive culture and effective working relationships within the team and with relevant professionals which helped people to achieve good outcomes.

The registered manager valued their staff and supported them to maintain their wellbeing which meant they were more able to support people.

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 17 July 2018).

Why we inspected

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.

We received a concern in relation to restrictions for people. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained the same based on the findings of this inspection.

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Lifestyles 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.