Background to this inspection
Updated
19 November 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
The inspection was carried out on 28 September 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Throughout the day, we observed care and treatment being delivered in communal lounges and dining areas. We also looked at the kitchen, bathrooms and external grounds. We asked people for their views about the services and facilities provided. During our inspection we spoke with the following people:
• Eight people that lived at the home.
• Two visiting relatives.
• Three healthcare professionals.
• Eight members of staff, which included; the registered manager, deputy manager, care team leader, senior care staff, care staff, cook and activities coordinator.
We looked at documentation including:
• Five care files and associated documentation
• Six staff records including recruitment, training and supervision.
• Five Medication Administration Records (MAR)
• Audits and quality assurance documentation.
• Variety of policies and procedures
• Safety and maintenance certification
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications regarding safeguarding and incidents, which the provider had informed us about. A notification is information about important events, which the service is required to send us
by law. We also looked at the Provider Information Return (PIR), which we had requested the registered manager complete prior to conducting the inspection. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the home, what the home does well and improvements they plan to make.
We liaised with the local authority and local commissioning teams and we reviewed previous inspection reports and other information we held about the service.
Updated
19 November 2016
This comprehensive inspection took place on 28 September 2016 and was unannounced.
We last inspected the home on 13 September 2013, when we found the service to be compliant with all the regulations we assessed at that time.
Lakelands care home is situated on the outskirts of Wigan. The home is registered to provide care and support for up to 40 people. The bedrooms are single occupancy and a number of the bedrooms have en-suite facilities. Bedrooms are located across two floors and are accessible by a lift. At the time of the inspection, there were 38 people living at Lakelands.
At the time of our visit there was a registered manager in post. 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.
All the people we spoke with told us they felt safe. We saw that the home had appropriate safeguarding policies and procedures in place and the staff we spoke with knew how to report any safeguarding concerns.
Staff were recruited safely with references from previous employers being sought and DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) checks undertaken.
The manager used a dependency tool to determine staffing levels and we found there were sufficient staff deployed to meet people’s needs safely.
Appropriate risk assessments had been completed and were reviewed regularly and changed timely to meet people’s needs. People and their relatives were involved in the assessments and planning of their health and social care. Regular reviews were undertaken collaboratively and relatives expressed feeling involved.
We saw that medicines were managed and administered appropriately. We saw that staff who gave out medicines had their competency assessed before being able to do so and regular medicines audits were carried out at both the location and provider level.
Staff received an induction when they started working at the home, as well as receiving appropriate training and supervision to support them in their role.
We saw that the dining experience in the home was a positive one. People we spoke to were very complimentary about the food provided. The home offered a wide choice of meals and catered for individual wishes, including those made on the day. We saw that people’s likes, dislikes, allergies or specialist diets were accounted for, with systems in place to ensure this was recorded.
Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) regarding people who lacked capacity to make a decision. They also understood the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) to make sure people were not restricted unnecessarily.
Throughout the inspection we saw evidence of positive and caring interactions between staff and people who lived at the home. Staff were observed treating people with kindness, dignity and respect. The people we spoke to told us how much they enjoyed living at Lakelands and how well the staff looked after them.
All of the people we spoke with during the inspection, relatives and health professionals were positive about the care provided.
People were supported to follow their interests and engage socially with others in ways that were meaningful to them. The home had a number of activities and outings on offer.
People we spoke with told us that the home was well-led and managed and they would recommend living there. Staff stated that they enjoyed working at the home and felt supported.