Lindum Court

Updated 12 August 2023

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 2 inspectors. An Expert by Experience also made calls to relatives. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Lindum Court 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. Lindum Court is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we received about the service. 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 spoke with 5 people who used the service and 12 relatives to ask about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager, the cook, 6 care staff and 1 visiting health professional. We looked at 3 care files along with a range of medication administration records (MARs). We looked at other records relating to the management of the service including recruitment, staff training and supervision and systems for monitoring quality.

Updated 12 August 2023

About the service

Lindum Court is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 24 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 21 people using the service. Personal care is also provided to 1 person living in the local community.

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

Governance systems were not always reliable or effective and there was limited evidence that learning had taken place to improve the quality of the service. The registered manager did not have a consistent approach to all safeguarding incidents. We have made a recommendation about safeguarding and lessons learnt.

Risks to people’s safety was managed well and were person centred. There were enough staff on duty with the right mix of skills to ensure practice was safe. Staff received supervision and appraisals to support them and identify their development needs. Recruitment systems were robust.

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

Medicines were managed, stored and disposed of safely. Infection, prevention and control was managed well. Staff adhered to policies and procedures on infection control and followed national guidance.

The dining environment was pleasant, and the food was well presented. People were involved in planning menus of their choice. There was positive feedback from people and relatives about the dining experience.

Health and well-being were addressed in care plans and action taken for people to have positive outcomes. Appropriate and timely referrals to relevant health professionals was made and any recommendations acted on.

The service had a positive culture that was person centred, open and inclusive. The registered manager supported and motivated staff who were proud of the service they worked in.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 22 November 2017).

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 and well-led section of this report. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Lindum Court on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified a breach in relation to good governance at this inspection. We have also made recommendations the provider ensures safeguarding’s are reported and acted on consistently and lessons are learnt to improve the outcomes for people and the service.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.