Longroyds and Pilling House Care Home

Updated 25 February 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

This inspection was carried out by 3 inspectors. Following our visit to this care home, an Expert by Experience made telephone calls to people’s representatives to ask for their feedback. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Longroyds and Pilling House Care Home 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. Longroyds and Pilling House Care Home 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 not a registered manager in post. The home had appointed a manager who was in the process of registering with us. They were not in the home on the day of our inspection.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 4 people who lived at the home, 12 relatives or representatives, the deputy manager, the regional manager, the divisional director and 6 members of care staff. We also spoke with a visiting healthcare professional. We observed care in communal areas, including mealtimes.

We reviewed a range of records, on site and remotely. These included people’s care records, medicines records, staff rotas, and documentation to support how the service is run.

Updated 25 February 2023

About the service

Longroyds and Pilling House Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 52 people aged 65 and over. At the time of the inspection, 30 people were living at this service.

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

People’s medicines were not robustly managed as morning medicines had been administered late on the day of the inspection. Staff were administering prescribed laxatives, but not using records effectively to cross reference the effects of this medicine and whether it was appropriate to continue administering. This was addressed by the management team following our inspection.

Staff had a visible presence in the home and rotas showed shifts were fully staffed. The provider reviewed people’s dependency levels regularly. A recruitment check was not recorded as having been followed up, which meant the process was not robust.

Mental capacity assessments had been completed, although one person’s assessments raised queries which we discussed with the management team. 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.

People and relatives felt confident staff were suitably trained. The provider had identified training gaps before our inspection and was ensuring this improved. Staff said they were well supported, but they did not receive regular formal supervision support in 2022. This was addressed following our inspection.

Infection control was mostly well managed, although we noted occasions when staff were not wearing face masks correctly. Three relatives said they were not allowed to visit the home during an infection outbreak, despite having essential care giver status.

People and relatives felt safe at this care home and staff knew how to recognise and respond to signs of abuse.

Most people had a positive mealtime experience. We saw staff assisting people in line with their dietary needs. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink.

We have made a recommendation about support at mealtimes for people who may experience memory loss and have difficult making choices from the menu.

Staff worked with a range of healthcare partners and were able to spot the signs of ill health. Visiting healthcare professionals provided positive feedback about the care staff provided.

A range of quality checks were taking place in the home, although the provider needed to ensure timescales and completion of actions were clearly recorded. This had been identified by the provider before our inspection. The regional manager was closely involved with the running of the home and visited regularly.

Opportunities to provide feedback were being explored as there had been a limited number of meetings for people and relatives. Satisfaction surveys had been carried out, but it was not clear how negative feedback had been responded to.

Relatives said they felt they were kept informed about important issues. People we spoke with said they were well cared for. Staff told us they worked in an environment where the team worked well and there was a positive culture. Examples of lessons being learned and continuous improvement were evident at this inspection.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 17 August 2021).

The service remains rated requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for the last two consecutive inspections.

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the safe management of risks to people. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Longroyds and Pilling House Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

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. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress at this service. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.