Archived: Lambton Grange

Updated 22 April 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the registered provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 7 March 2017 and was unannounced. One Adult Social Care inspector and an expert by experience took part in this inspection. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using, or caring for someone who uses, this type of care service.

Before we visited the service we checked the information we held about this location and the service provider, for example, inspection history, safeguarding notifications and complaints. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to the Commission by law. We also contacted professionals involved in caring for people who used the service, including commissioners and safeguarding staff. We also contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is the local consumer champion for health and social care services. They give consumers a voice by collecting their views, concerns and compliments through their engagement work. Information provided by these professionals was used to inform the inspection.

Before the inspection, the registered provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the registered provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used this information to inform our inspection.

During our inspection we spoke with five people who used the service and five family members. We also spoke with the deputy manager and one member of care staff.

We looked at the personal care or treatment records of three people who used the service and observed how people were being cared for. We also looked at the personnel files for three members of staff and records relating to the management of the service, such as quality audits, policies and procedures. We also carried out observations of staff and their interactions with people who used the service.

Updated 22 April 2017

This inspection took place on 7 March 2017 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and registered provider did not know we would be visiting.

Lambton Grange provides care and accommodation for up to eight people with a learning disability. On the day of our inspection there were seven people using the service.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. At the time of our inspection visit, the registered manager was on annual leave and the deputy manager was in charge of the home.

We last inspected the service in March 2015 and rated the service as ‘Good.’ At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and risk assessments were in place. The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Appropriate arrangements were in place for the administration and storage of medicines.

The home was clean, spacious and suitable for the people who used the service and appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to keep people safe however staffing levels did not always provide the flexibility for staff to take people out.

The registered provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff. Staff were suitably trained and received regular supervisions and appraisals.

The registered provider was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and was following the requirements in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs. Care records contained evidence of visits to and from external health care specialists.

People who used the service and family members were complimentary about the standard of care at Lambton Grange.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible. People’s end of life care wishes had been discussed and recorded.

Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and care plans were written in a person centred way.

Activities were arranged for people who used the service based on their likes and interests and to help meet their social needs.

The registered provider had an effective complaints procedure in place and people who used the service and family members were aware of how to make a complaint.

People who used the service, family members and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service.