Linden House Care Home

Updated 17 March 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

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Linden 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. Linden 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 a registered manager in post.

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 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 3 people who used the service, 2 relatives and 1 visiting professional. We spoke with 6 staff members, including 4 carers, the registered manager and the provider.

We looked at 3 people’s care records, associated documents, and medicines related documentation. We also looked at 3 staff files, training records, as well as records relating to the operation and management of the service. We undertook a tour of the building, observed medicines administration and their storage, and completed observations in the communal areas.

Updated 17 March 2023

About the service

Linden House Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation for people who require personal care for up to 63 people in a single storey building. The service provides support to younger adults, people with physical disabilities, mental health needs, older people and dementia care. At the time of our inspection there were 42 people using the service.

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

Although the service had improved practices around thickeners, which was a recommendation at the last inspection, processes and procedures around medications were not always being followed, we made a recommendation around this. The service had made improvements around staffing and people felt there was enough staff. Recruitment checks were not always robust, we made a recommendation around this. Infection prevention and control practices were in place and we noted improvement in this area since the last inspection. Systems were in place to keep people safe. Peoples individual risks were being assessed and managed. Environmental checks were being completed.

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.

Governance systems were in place and had improved since our last inspection. Staff gave mixed views around management support. We made a recommendation around ensuring systems are developed and are effective. Views of people and staff were being sought, and the service was making improvements from lessons learned. The service was working in partnership with others.

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 27 April 2022). 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.

At our last inspection we made recommendations regarding staffing, infection prevention and control practice, and guidance and knowledge of staff around thickener. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on these recommendations.

Why we inspected

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.

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 17 March 2022. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve governance. We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from Requires Improvements to Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

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

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.