Lonsdale Mews

Updated 21 October 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 undertaken by one inspector.

An Expert by Experience also made telephone calls to people’s relatives. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Lonsdale Mews 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. Lonsdale Mews is a care home with 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 reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority 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 ten members of staff including the area manager, registered manager, chef, domestic staff, team leader, carer, activities co-ordinator and maintenance staff. We also spoke with the hairdresser.

We reviewed four care plans and risk assessments of people living at the service and medicine administration records.

We reviewed three staff files, and also a variety of policies, procedures and documents.

We spoke with two people living at the service and six relatives of people using the service to understand their experiences.

Following the inspection we continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate our findings.

Updated 21 October 2022

About the service

Lonsdale Mews is a care home providing accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care, and treatment of disease, disorder or injury. Lonsdale Mews can support up to 64 people. The service provides support to people living with physical health needs and conditions such as Dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 34 people using the service.

Lonsdale Mews is a specially built building. The service is split into four units. At the time of inspection three units were in use with plans in place to slowly open up the fourth unit. Each unit supported people with similar types of needs.

Each person had their own bedroom and ensuite facilities. Each ground floor room has its own patio. There were communal lounges, dining rooms, a café, cinema, activities room, hair salon and a garden people could use if they wished.

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

People were safe. Systems and processes were in place to safeguard people and protect them from the risk of harm and abuse.

People were supported by staff who had been trained and recruited safely. Sufficient numbers of staff were available and deployed to safely meet people’s needs.

Staff were supported by staff who cared for them and treated them with respect.

Care provided was personalised and people were involved in planning their care. Staff knew people well and were responsive to their changing health needs, making referrals and seeking medical support when required.

The service was well-led. People and staff felt the registered manager was approachable and responsive. People, their relatives and staff felt listened to and felt able to raise complaints which had been dealt with promptly.

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.

During this inspection we carried out a separate thematic probe, which asked questions of the provider, people and their relatives, about the quality of oral health care support and access to dentists, for people living in the care home. This was to follow up on the findings and recommendations from our national report on oral healthcare in care homes that was published in 2019 called ‘Smiling Matters’. We will publish a follow up report to the 2019 'Smiling Matters' report, with up to date findings and recommendations about oral health, in due course.

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

Why we inspected

This service was registered with us on 28 September 2020 and this is the first 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 COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.