31 August 2022
During a routine inspection
The Limes is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 46 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 28 people using the service.
The Limes is all on one level. There are various communal lounges and dining rooms and quiet areas as well as a shared garden. The Limes offers people the choice of single bedrooms but also shared double bedrooms if people prefer. Some bedrooms benefit from ensuite facilities. There is also an office onsite. The layout of the building is designed to support people living with dementia and/or who require support to move around safely.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe living at The Limes. They liked the staff and told us staff treated them well, were kind and knew their likes and dislikes. Staff knew how to keep people safe and what to do if they had any concerns. Some staff were still developing the confidence to report concerns externally to safeguarding teams or CQC. A member of the management team currently still led this.
Since the last inspection, there had been a new registered manager appointed to the service as well as changes and improvements to systems, processes and the environment. This had resulted in many changes for the better but was not yet fully embedded.
People were mostly supported to safely administer and manage their medicines. However, there were some discrepancies that had not been identified during audits. The registered manager put additional measures in place to address this during the inspection.
People were supported by trained staff in all aspects of their daily life. This included going to the pub, maintaining contact with friends and relatives, having meals and drinks out, socialising and meeting their health needs. Staff had received additional training which relatives told us had been seen in improved practices and care. Staff were still being supported to fully develop their knowledge and confidence to implement learning.
People told us the management had improved since the recent start of the new registered manager and this had a positive impact on the quality of care they received. This included the care being more organised, improved communication and staff skills.
The registered manager made sure all staff and visitors followed the latest government guidance for reducing risks about COVID-19 and the spread of infection. Staff had received additional training on this topic to ensure they could keep people as safe as possible.
People had access to health professionals who worked closely with the staff and management team to ensure all health concerns were looked into straight away. The staff team worked closely with community nursing teams to look at shared care to ensure quicker responses, treatment and advice for people.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update:
The last rating for this service was inadequate (published 16 December 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
This service has been in Special Measures since 16 December 2021. During this inspection, the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.
Why we inspected
This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.
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.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.