The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Lyndridge Care & Support

Unit 1B, North Road Industrial Estate, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 1BQ (01837) 54782

Provided and run by:
Mrs Carol Barkwell

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile

All Inspections

1-2 May 2014

During a routine inspection

Lyndridge Care and Support is a domiciliary care service providing personal care to people in their own homes. At the time of the inspection 150 people were receiving personal care and support from the agency.  The majority were older people but there were also people with mental health needs and learning disabilities. The amount of support people received with their personal care varied from a few hours a day to 24 hour support. 

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law like the provider.

People using the service told us they were happy with the support they received. They told us support staff were: “Very friendly” and helped them remain independent. People said they would complain if they needed to and were confident any complaints would be dealt with. One person told us: “I do know about the complaints procedure, I’m good at that. But I haven’t had to use it.”

Care plans were detailed and reviewed regularly.  Care plans for people with a learning disability used pictures to supplement the text to help people understand their plans.  People told us they were involved in developing their plans and were aware staff used them regularly. One person told us: “They have a book with everything that happens to me written in it. They write every day."

We looked at risk assessments contained within care plans. We found those for older people who used the service did not give staff clear guidance on how to minimise risks for individuals. The operations manager told us they were planning to develop the way in which risk assessments were written in order to make them more personalised and relevant.

Staff told us they enjoyed their jobs and were well supported by their line managers. We saw they received training which was appropriate to their roles.

There was a well-defined management structure in place and staff told us they were clear about the lines of accountability. People who used the service and staff told us they found management effective and efficient. One person said: “The manager definitely runs the service well. It is very efficient and I get all the care that I need.”

Quality monitoring was carried out regularly in order to assess the standard of care provided and implement any required changes. This helped ensure staff from the agency were able to respond quickly to people’s changing needs.

We found the staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

6, 7, 11 November 2013

During an inspection in response to concerns

During this inspection we visited six Supported Living units where Lyndridge Care & Support provided personal care. We spoke with 18 people who received a service. We received 16 responses to surveys. We met with the registered person and 17 staff. We looked at care plans and training records.

People who responded to our surveys were very positive about the service they received. One person said, 'It's excellent, I have never heard of any care homes such as ours. We can do exactly as we want. If we require to go to town etc. they will always take us.' This showed that staff listened to what people wanted and provided individual support. It also showed that some people had perceived the houses to be care homes, which they were not. Three of the people that we met during our visits had care needs that were at or beyond the boundaries of this service. All had health and social care professionals involved with reassessing and providing for their complex needs.

We carried out this inspection because we had received information of concern about the service provided in four different units. We looked at staff skills and capabilities, particularly with respect to the support of people who lacked capacity for decision making in their daily lives.

We found that people were receiving a responsive service. Staff understood people's needs and treated people with respect and consideration. Procedures were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service.

21 May 2013

During an inspection in response to concerns

This inspection was carried out because concerns had been raised about a lack of attention received by people with high care needs who lived in supported living units where care and support were provided by Lyndridge. The service registered with the Care Quality Commission as a domiciliary agency to provide personal care.

We visited two supported living units and met with ten people living there and were able to observe four others. We spoke with seven staff and three visiting professionals. We looked at a sample of care plans and staff rotas. We visited the agency's office and met with the operational manager and the manager for learning disability within the service. We requested other documents related to the monitoring of quality of the service.

We found that care was well planned and delivered according to people's individual needs. Professional assessments had been requested and guidance followed. The agency had systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service provided.

Social activities were provided that were appropriate for some people who received the service. Sufficient staff were available to provide personal care in accordance with people's assessed needs. Staff were available to respond to emergencies in 'shared time' that was included in people's contracts. Informal social support was not included in the regulated activity and was not always available.

28, 29, 30 November 2012

During an inspection in response to concerns

We visited eight of the current 18 Supported Living units where Lyndridge Care and Support was providing personal care. We spoke with 15 of the people using the service, who varied greatly in their social and health care needs, the provider and 17 staff on duty and two health and social care professionals.

In general, people we met in their homes told us they were happy with the staff and with the things they did in their lives.

This inspection was carried out because we had received concerns that staff levels and training were insufficient, leading to an unsafe level of care for some people. We found that training was well organised and comprehensive. Staff confirmed that they were called for training to extend and update their skills. Staff who spoke with us understood the care needs of people they supported.

We found that the service was organised in a flexible way in order to meet the individual needs of people using the service.

Staff levels were matched to the number and care needs of the people living at each unit. The units varied in their ability to cover for unexpected absences but all maintained safe levels of staff. Where staff were working alone, they were able to get support quickly if they needed it to maintain safety for people in the house. In one unit staff said that people's needs were met, but they could provide more social care if another staff member was available, and one person wanted more attention than they could currently provide.