Limes Residential Care Home

Updated 20 July 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector and one Expert by Experience who supported the inspector by speaking with people and visitors. 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

The Limes Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We reviewed the action plan submitted by the provider following 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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the provider, operations manager, registered manager, team leader, care workers and the activities co-ordinator.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medicines records. We looked at six staff files in relation to recruitment, training and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We received feedback from one health professional who regularly visits the service.

Updated 20 July 2019

About the service

The Limes Residential Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 22 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection some of whom were living with dementia. The service can support up to 26 people.

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

People were safe living at The Limes. Safeguarding processes were in place to help safeguard people from abuse. Risks associated with people’s care had been assessed and guidance was in place for staff to follow.

People were supported to engage in activities based on their hobbies and interests which had a positive impact on their well-being. Care plans were detailed, person centred and evidenced that people and their relatives were consulted around their care preferences.

People received their medicines, as prescribed. Feedback given to the management team by the inspection team regarding the management of prescribed creams was addressed following the inspection. There were enough staff to support people in a person-centred way.

Improvements made following the last inspection had been sustained and embedded. There were quality monitoring systems and processes in place to identify how the service was performing

and where improvements were required.

Staff received appropriate induction, training and support and applied learning effectively in line with best practice. This led to good outcomes for people and supported a good quality of life.

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.

Staff were caring and kind. People we spoke with and their relatives confirmed this. Staff provided comfort and support if people became anxious or upset.

Staff supported people to meet their health and nutritional needs. People were supported and encouraged to maintain their independence. Staff worked with health care professionals to maintain people's wellbeing.

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 requires improvement (published 7 July 2018) and there were multiple 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.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.