Lavender Court

Updated 11 September 2024

Lavender Court is a care home. It is registered to provide accommodation and nursing care to up to 85 people. Lavender Court specialises in the care of older people including people living with dementia. At the time of our assessment there were 76 residents living at the service over 4 units. The assessment was carried out in response to concerns we had received from various sources and the intelligence we held. These included concerns related to medicines, safeguarding and risk management. As part of the assessment, we carried out a site visit to the service on 8 October 2024. We spoke to staff in a variety of roles as well as people living at the service and their relatives. We carried out observations during the site visit and gathered feedback from professionals working with the service. We found no evidence that people were at risk of significant harm but have identified some areas for improvement, some of which the registered manager and provider were already aware of and addressing.

Updated 11 September 2024

Most people and relatives were content with the care they received at the service. Some shared concerns in relation to staffing levels and at times having to wait for assistance, particularly for personal care if there were not enough staff available there to help them. People we spoke with knew they had care plans in place when they came to live at the service, however most could not recall anyone talking to them specifically about their care needs subsequently. Generally, people felt that permanent staff were aware of their preferences and how to support them with their independence, however we received feedback that agency staff treated people in the same way. We found people on the nursing unit were not always supported by sufficient staff. This was rectified by the registered manager with immediate effect. We found the recruitment process oversight was not robust in identifying the gaps in staff’s pre-employment checks. The registered manager took immediate action to rectify this and improve the process to ensure the providers policy was followed. People did not raise any safety concerns. They received their medicines in a safe way and as prescribed for them. Improvements were made in relation to medicines since our last inspection. Staff understood how to support people to maintain their safety. Systems were in place to promote people's safety and minimise any identified risks. People lived in a home which was clean, and the safety of the environment was maintained. Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor and assess the effectiveness of the service delivered. Action plans were generated and monitored for implementation and completion. Adjustments were required in relation to monitoring of recruitment and staffing dependency levels which the registered manager and provider actioned during our assessment. The registered manager and provider were keen and proactive in continuing to improve the quality of the service provided.