Launton Grange Care Home

Updated 14 June 2022

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

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. 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

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

There was no 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The service was run by a manager who had applied to register with the Care Quality Commission.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the 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. We reviewed safeguarding alerts; share your experience forms and notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with five people using the service about their experience of the care provided. 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 to us .We spoke with five members of staff. We reviewed a range of records which included care records for three people and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, audits and quality assurance systems were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and the provider’s policies. We contacted five relatives of people, other professionals and different organisations working in partnership with the service. We contacted 13 more residents to obtain their views on the quality of care.

Updated 14 June 2022

About the service

Launton Grange Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care. The service can host to up to 66 people. It provides support to elderly people, some of whom may live with dementia, mental health support needs or sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were 36 people using the service.

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

People living at Launton Grange Care Home received excellent care from a passionate and dedicated staff team. Staff valued people and their life experiences, and they knew people thoroughly. They provided care that was tailored to individual needs of each person, including their likes, dislikes and preferences. People told us that staff went over and above the call of duty which made a difference to their lives. The culture at the home encouraged and nurtured people. Relatives of people told us the way the home was run meant their family members received exceptional care. The individualised care and liaison with the local community led to outstanding outcomes for people. For example, people remained active and involved in working with local schools in spite of Covid-19 restrictions. This gave them a new purpose and encouraged them to share their thoughts, likes and life histories with students from the local schools.

People were supported to retain active presence in the local community and to pursue their personal interests and hobbies. An activities team alongside care staff all worked together to organise a rich programme, whereby different things to do for fun and interest were offered for those who wished to participate. People had opportunities to maintain and develop relationships with visitors to widen their social networks. There were examples where staff had done their upmost to ensure people were able to fulfil their wishes.

People and relatives told us staff were extremely caring. People had built extremely trusting and caring bonds with staff who supported them. Relatives of people highlighted these bonds had a very positive impact on their family members’ wellbeing. Staff ensured they promoted people's rights to dignity, privacy and independence.

People received safe care from staff who had been appropriately trained to protect people and identify signs of abuse. Staff understood their responsibilities to report any concerns and followed the provider's policies in relation to safeguarding and whistleblowing. Robust recruitment procedures helped to ensure only suitable staff were employed at the service.

Risks were assessed, managed and reviewed to help ensure people's safety. Staff were deployed appropriately, and capacity of staffing hours was closely monitored. People were assisted with their medicines safely and told us they received them on time.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff provided them with care in the least restrictive way possible and acted in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service promoted this practice.

Staff received regular training which provided them with the knowledge and skills to meet people's needs in an effective, responsive and personalised way. Staff supported people to choose food they liked and to eat healthily. People received enough food and fluids to remain healthy and staff monitored this when required.

People were encouraged to express their opinions and supported to have their voice heard. People were fully involved in planning and reviewing their care and support needs. There was a complaints procedure in place and people felt confident to raise any concerns either with staff or the registered manager if they needed to. People were supported at the end of their lives in ways which reflected their choices and wishes.

Staff told us they were supported by the management team who showed empathy and understanding. The provider had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the home including high quality communication sharing good practice and achievement across the organisation.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 13/10/2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection of the 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 until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information, we may inspect sooner.