Life Care Corporation Limited

Updated 13 April 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.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Life Care Corporation Limited 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, the clinical commissioning group and professionals who work with the service. We checked records held by other agencies, such as the Information Commissioner’s Office, Companies House, the Food Standards Agency, the fire brigade and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people in the communal lounge. Most people remained in their bedrooms during our inspection and there were no visitors due to the continued pandemic. To establish the quality of care provided to people, we also observed the support they received and their interaction with staff members. We spoke with eight members of staff including the operations manager, clinical lead, registered manager, deputy manager, three care workers and the activities coordinator. We also contacted health and social care professionals in writing. Their feedback has been considered as part of our inspection.

We reviewed a range of records. This included seven people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at staff training and supervision documents. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We requested and received quality improvement records and other documents associated with the management of the service.

Updated 13 April 2021

About the service

Life Care Corporation Limited is a residential care home providing personal care that can support a maximum of 41 people. Many of the people were living with dementia. At the time of the inspection 15 people were supported at the service. There are 25 staff employed. The service is split into two wings, within a large detached home. Each wing accommodates people across three floors. A communal lounge and dining room is located within each wing, with communal grounds offering access to outside space. One side of the building was closed due to the number of people living at the service.

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

Changes were made to ensure risks from the premises and equipment were mitigated. Examples included changes to design, signage and water temperature safety. Medicines were being safely managed. People were protected against abuse and neglect. The service had reviewed and implemented the guidelines for care homes during the pandemic. Improvements were still required for some infection prevention and control practices.

Improvements were made to ensure people’s care was more effective. People were asked about their preferences, likes and dislikes and these were considered to help staff provide individualised care. Documentation of people’s choices had improved. The building was decorated to ensure a better environment for people living with dementia. Improvements to the environment were in line with practice guidelines. Consent for care and treatment was obtained in the right way. The service had not obtained valid consent for the use of people’s photos on social media websites. We made a recommendation about consent.

People said they were happy with the care workers and support received. During the pandemic, the service received regular complimentary feedback from families, even when they were not able to visit due to restrictions. Staff tried to keep people connected with their families and friends.

People’s care plans and daily notes were more individualised. During the lockdowns, the staff had made an extra effort to prevent social isolation of people; the service recognised people were confined to their rooms more. Additional activities and more one-to-one time was provided to keep people entertained and stimulated.

There were improvements to the quality assurance systems. However, the service’s continuous improvement plan was not always updated with the results of multiple audits completed each month. The statement of purpose did not contain the required information. There was satisfactory support from the provider’s clinical lead and operations manager. Incidents and accidents were being correctly reported and there was review of the information by the registered manager. The service and management team worked collaboratively with the local authority, commissioners and other stakeholders.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was inadequate (published 13 May 2020). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

This service has been in ‘special measures’ since 5 July 2019. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in ‘special measures’.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

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