London Mental Health Care Centre

The London Mental Health Centre is a care home that provides support to people with a mental health condition. The home can accommodate up to 15 people. At the time of the inspection there were 14 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service

People told us they felt safe and we found risks to people’s health and wellbeing were identified and effective measures were in place to mitigate these. People’s medicines were managed safely. The provider recruited staff safely and there were enough staff on duty to keep people safe and respond to people’s needs. People were protected from the risk of infections as the home was clean and hygienic.

People received support from staff who had the knowledge and skills to meet their needs. Staff worked well with other health and social care professionals to ensure people’s physical and mental healthcare was supported. The provider had made improvements to the décor and layout of the building to promote people’s comfort and further improvements had been identified and incorporated in the service improvement plan.

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.

People were treated with kindness and received person-centred care from well trained staff that knew them well. There were a range of activities on offer and the provider was working on improving the range of activities they provided to ensure people had opportunities for social stimulation and community engagement.

We received positive feedback from people receiving care, relatives, staff and professionals about the management and culture of the service. One person receiving care said, “The manager and the staff are very supportive. I can’t fault them.” A member of staff told us, “The best thing about the service is that I am making a positive difference to someone’s life.” The registered manager conducted a range of quality assurance checks to ensure safety and quality was maintained.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was Good (published 3 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Follow up

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

The service 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. At the time of this inspection eight people with a mental health condition lived at the service.

This was the first inspection at London Mental Health Care Centre since their registration in November 2017.

The service had 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.

The registered provider had a safeguarding process in place that protected people from harm and abuse. Staff completed safeguarding training which gave them knowledge of the types of abuse and the skills to help them report an allegation of abuse promptly.

Risks that affected people’s health and wellbeing were identified. Risk management plans were developed and staff used this guidance to manage risks safely.

People’s medicines were managed safely. People said staff supported them with the administration of their medicines and there were systems in place for the storage, ordering, recording and disposal of medicines.

Staffing levels were appropriate to meet people’s needs safely. Safe recruitment processes were followed by staff. This ensured suitable newly recruited staff with relevant skills and knowledge were employed to work with people.

Staff were supported through a programme of induction, training, supervision and an appraisal. Staff reflected on their practice, personal and professional development and identified their training needs.

The registered manager and staff provided care in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People gave their consent to care and staff carried out this in line with their wishes. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service support this practice.

People had meals provided to them that they enjoyed. Meals were cooked onsite and which met their preferences and nutritional needs. Health care services were made accessible for people. Each year people had their health care and mental health monitored and reviewed.

People made decisions in the delivery of their care and support. People took part in activities they enjoyed and developed new hobbies and interests. Staff encouraged people to maintain their level of independence in relation to their abilities and individual goals.

Staff provided people with care and support in a respectful and compassionate way. People’s dignity was protected and there was space for people to have their privacy when they needed.

Assessments were completed with people which identified their needs. Care plans were developed which detailed the support staff provided to people to help them maintain their health and wellbeing. When people’s needs changed these were reviewed and their care plan was updated to reflect their current care and support needs.

There was a complaints process in place at the service. People understood how to complain about aspects of their care if they were unhappy. Staff understood how to support people who required end of life care. However, at the time of the inspection nobody required this support.

Staff enjoyed working at the service and respected the registered manager. There were systems in place to monitor and review the service to ensure people received safe and effective care.