Lester Court

Updated 22 December 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

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 carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Lester Court 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 service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, the regional manager, a senior support worker, and a support worker. We reviewed a range of records including a person's care records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service including audits, policies and procedures, and infection control documentation.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 22 December 2021

About the service

Lester Court provides accommodation and support for up to 10 younger adults with mental health needs. At the time of the inspection there were six people using the service.

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

People felt safe at the service and able to speak out. A person said, "Everyone has a voice here, everyone has come out of their shell.”

The service had an established staff team meaning people had continuity of care. Staff were safely recruited and well-trained. They were caring and kind and had positive relationships with the people using the service.

People were encouraged to become more independent, try new activities, and make use of the local community. Staff knew where people were at risk and supported them to remain safe. They listened to people and encouraged them to make positive lifestyle choices.

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 service was well-led by an experienced registered manager and deputy. People and staff had confidence in their ability to run the service to a good standard taking into account the views of those who lived and worked there.

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 (report published 29 December 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received around safeguarding, leadership and governance. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service is Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.