Langdon House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 52 adults some of whom are living with dementia. There were 49 people living at the home during our visit. The home has accommodation provided on two floors. Accommodation consists of single occupancy bedrooms with en-suite facilities. There are internal and external communal areas, including a kitchen, lounge/ dining areas and a garden for people and their visitors to use.
This unannounced inspection was carried out on 21 April 2015. At our previous inspection on 04 February 2014 the provider was meeting all of the regulations that we assessed.
There was a registered manager in place. 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.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and report on what we find. There were systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making. Appropriate applications were made to the authorising agencies to ensure that people’s rights were protected. Where people were assessed not to have mental capacity, their care was carried out in their best interest. This included the use of covert administration of medication and support with their daily care needs.
People who lived in the home were supported by staff in a caring and respectful way. People had individualised care and support plans in place which recorded their likes and dislikes, needs and wishes, including end of life wishes. These plans gave staff guidelines on any assistance a person may require.
Individual risks to people were identified by staff. Plans were put into place to minimise these risks to enable people to live as independent and safe a life as possible. There were arrangements in place for the management, administration and safe storage of people’s prescribed medication. People received their medication as prescribed.
Staff took time to reassure and engage with people who were becoming anxious in an understanding and patient manner. People and their relatives were able to raise any suggestions or concerns that they might have with staff and the management team and feel listened too.
People were supported to access a range of external health care professionals and were supported to maintain their health.
People were provided with adequate amounts of food and drink to meet their hydration and nutrition needs.
There were a sufficient number of staff employed to ensure that people were safe. Staff understood their responsibility to report poor care practice. Staff were trained to provide effective care which met people’s individual care and support needs. They were supported by the registered manager to maintain their skills through training. The standard of staff members’ work performance was reviewed by the management through supervision and appraisal to ensure that staff were competent.
The registered manager sought feedback from people who lived at the home by holding residents and relatives meetings. There was an on-going quality monitoring process in place to identify areas of improvement required within the home. Where improvements had been identified there were actions plans in place which documented the action taken or to be taken.