Lucton House

Updated 17 December 2020

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 provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 3rd December 2020 and was announced.

Updated 17 December 2020

This comprehensive inspection took place on 25 July 2018 and was unannounced. At our last inspection in August 2017, we identified three breaches of legal requirements due to concerns about the leadership of the service and people did not receive care centred around their needs. We also found the provider had not notified us about events and incidents as required by law. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show how they would meet the breaches of regulation identified at our last inspection. At this inspection, we found improvements had been made and the provider had met the previous breaches of the regulations. We have rated the service, ‘Good’ overall.

Lucton House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The care home accommodates 51 older people in one adapted building. There were 47 people living at the home at the time of our inspection. People have their own separate ‘flats’ which contain a lounge area, their bedroom and ensuite facilities.

Since our last inspection, a new manager had joined the service and they had registered in September 2018. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.

People and relatives felt the service was safe. People were supported to have their risks managed and incidents at the home were learnt from to improve people’s safety. Staffing levels had increased since our last inspection and people felt staffing levels were safe. Safe recruitment processes had been followed. Systems were in place to ensure the health and safety of the home.

People received effective support from staff which met their needs. Staff told us they felt supported and staff training was ongoing. People were supported to make their own choices. The design and décor of the home was developed around people’s preferences and needs. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink.

People and relatives told us staff were kind and caring. Our observations reflected this and we saw people were involved in decisions and discussions about their care. Staff ensured they promoted people’s privacy, dignity and independence.

People’s needs were reviewed and responded to with input from healthcare professionals. People spent their time as they wished and enjoyed some group activities. People and relatives told us they knew how to complain but had not needed to do so. Systems were in place to ensure complaints would lead to improvements at the home.

Further improvements were required, and underway, to ensure people’s needs and preferences were always known and responded to, including access to activities at the home.

There was a new manager who had registered after our inspection. People spoke positively about the service and recent developments. Systems and processes were in place to assess, monitor and continuously improve the quality and safety of the service.