Wellington and Longforth House

Updated 23 June 2021

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.

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

Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience carried out the inspection. 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

Wellington and Longforth is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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, this included notifications made by the service and concerns raised with the Care Quality Commission. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We met the majority of people who lived at the home and spoke with five of them about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with a relative visiting the home to ask them about their views of the service.

We spoke with ten members of staff including the registered manager, both unit leads, the administrator, the maintenance person, senior care workers and care workers. We also spoke with two agency staff working at the home to ask their views.

As most people were living with dementia, we used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service and reviewed policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We spoke with the nominated individual on the telephone to feedback our findings. We spoke with a relative on the telephone and sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service.

Updated 23 June 2021

Wellington and Longforth House is registered to provide accommodation with nursing or personal care, for up to 43 people. There were 41 people using the service at the time of our inspection. The service is in the town of Wellington.

The home is divided into two units, Longforth House and Wellington House. The Longforth unit supports people with a range of mental health needs. The Wellington unit supports older people with dementia and mental health needs. Each of these units has its own staff team, communal spaces and secure outside garden for people to use as they choose.

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

Improvements had been made with the quality management systems at the home. The management team were responsive and where appropriate took swift action to address shortfalls. They had developed and improved their systems to provide people with quality care.

People and families were happy with the quality of care and leadership at the home. A relative said “Absolutely fabulous down there, extremely good during the difficult time we have been having. No complaints at all.”

The provider made sure infection control processes helped keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The home was clean and there were PPE stations situated at several points throughout the home. The service was adapted to meet the needs of people living with dementia.

Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. 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.

Staff received robust induction, training and supervision and had the skills and knowledge to deliver care effectively.

People had a pleasant dining experience and their nutritional needs were met.

There were effective channels of communication for the staff team. People had access to other health care professionals as needed.

People received person centred care and staff knew the people they were supporting well. Care plans identified the support people needed to communicate and how they preferred their care to be delivered.

Staff had supported people to maintain relationships that were important to them. People enjoyed a range of activities. People had completed a life history with staff, so staff could work to ensure people’s interests and individual social needs were met.

Systems were in place to monitor and respond to complaints.

Staff were positive about the home and the leadership of the management team. The registered manager understood their role and responsibilities in ensuring people received high quality care.

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 (report published 24 October 2019) with one breach 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.

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.

Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for the key questions we did not inspect were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement 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 Wellington and Longforth House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.