Low Lane House

Updated 11 August 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.

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 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Low Lane House 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. Low Lane House 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 not a registered manager in post. However, a new manager had been appointed and was in the process of submitting their application to register.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out, and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

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 (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 7 members of staff including the deputy manager, area manager and 5 care staff. We spoke with 3 relatives.

We reviewed a range of care records for 2 people and looked at records in relation to the safety and management of the service. We also reviewed records the deputy manager and area manager had sent us electronically.

Updated 11 August 2023

About the service

Low Lane House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to six young adults with a learning disability and/or autism. At the time of the inspection there were six people living there. The home has communal lounges and dining areas. Each person has their own bedroom with ensuite facilities.

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 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.

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

Right Support: People were supported by staff who understood their care and support needs. Risks in relation to people’s care and support were assessed and guidance was in place to assist staff with keeping people safe. Plans were personalised for each person and identified how staff should support the person with communicating their needs or when experiencing distress.

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.

There were sufficient staff to meet people’s identified hours of support, and this supported people to access activities both socially and within their home. Medicines were managed safely. Robust infection control measures were in place, people were supported by staff to keep their home safe and clean.

Right Care: Care was person-centred and promoted people’s dignity, privacy, and human rights. Staff showed people kindness and respect during our visits. We observed people interacting positively with staff and seeking support when needed. People were supported to access healthcare services and were supported to eat and drink enough. People were supported by staff to plan their week and access opportunities and activities of their choice.

Relatives spoke positively about the care and support their loved ones received. They told us communication could be improved. This was fedback to the provider who acknowledged this was an area they would seek to improve.

Staff received training on how to recognise and report abuse and said they would feel comfortable raising any concerns with management. People were protected by the provider's recruitment processes. Appropriate checks were completed by the service, ensuring staff were suitable to work with people.

The design and the decoration of the building was adapted to meet people’s needs. Rooms were personalised in line with people’s wishes.

Right Culture: The service was currently being supported by the deputy manager and the area manager. They had recently completed workshops with staff on workplace culture, values, and attitudes to promote a positive culture amongst the staff team.

Staff valued the support from the deputy and area manager, which helped to maintain their wellbeing and positive attitude to supporting people living at the service.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of service provided and identify improvements. Where audits had identified improvements, these were recorded in the home action plan. The deputy manager and area manager were open and transparent regarding areas they had identified as requiring improvement and the actions they had taken to address them.

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 requires improvement (published 27 June 2022).

At the inspection completed 26 October 2021 there was a breach of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At the inspection on 27 June 2022, we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation. However, the service was rated as requires improvement to ensure continued improvements were made and sustained. At this inspection the provider had made the necessary improvements. The service is now rated good.

Why we inspected

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had embedded and sustained the necessary improvements.

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about medicines, staffing, management, and governance. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. The concerns raised had been addressed and the provider had taken action to mitigate the risks which had been effective.

This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well-led.

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.

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 changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Low Lane House 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.