The Lilacs Residential Home

Updated 3 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 carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

The Lilacs Residential Home 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. The Lilacs Residential Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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 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 observed the care provided to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We spoke with seven people who used the service, and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, quality manager, cook and two care staff. We also spoke with a visiting healthcare professional.

We reviewed a range of records including two people's care documentation and five people’s medicines records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 3 September 2022

About the service

The Lilacs Residential Home is a residential care home providing regulated activity personal care to up to seventeen people. The service provides support to older people some of whom maybe living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 16 people using the service. The care home accommodates people in one adapted building over three floors.

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

People told us they were happy living at the service one person said, “The staff are very good, I won’t hear a bad word said against them.”

The service had been taken over by a new provider and there was a new management team in place.

Improvements were needed with the management of medicines to ensure people were receiving their medication as prescribed. Governance systems needed to improve to ensure there was effective oversight of all aspects of the service.

Care plans were person centred and contained the information staff needed to support people safely. There were appropriate levels of staff to support people. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. Staff had received appropriate training to support people.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to ensure they maintained a balanced diet and referrals to other health professionals were made when required. The new provider had made positive changes to the environment and there was a refurbishment plan in place.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 1 June 2021 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 9 November 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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 have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe sections of this full report.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to medicines at the service.

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.