About the service

Lindum is a care home that offers care and support for up to three people with Learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders and or physical disability.

There were three people using the service at the time of our visit.

The care service was meeting the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

People’s experience of using this service

• People were happy living at Lindum. They felt safe and liked the staff who supported them. Staff enjoyed their work and were proud of the service.

• Staff knew about safeguarding and how to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm.

• Risk was assessed and managed so that people could continue doing the things they liked to do.

• Staff knew people extremely well. They knew what made them happy and sad and about the things that may trigger risky behaviour and the best way to a manage this.

• Staff managed medicines in a safe way.

• There was a consistent staff group matched to the needs of people. This meant that people received the support they required from staff who knew them very well.

• Staff were recruited in a safe way to make sure that only staff with the right skills and characteristics were employed.

• Regular maintenance and checks were carried out on the premises and equipment to make sure it was in safe working order.

• The service was clean and tidy and staff knew how to prevent and control infection.

• Staff had the right skills, experience and support to meet people’s needs.

• People were supported to maintain a healthy weight and had a balanced diet with a choice of meals that they had chosen.

• Staff knew how to recognise changes in people’s health and wellbeing and sought medical advice as soon as this was required.

• The premises met people’s needs and provided a safe, comfortable and homely environment.

• Staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated Deprivation of Liberty Standards. This meant that people's liberty was only deprived following authorisation and a best interest decision.

• People felt cared about by staff. They had developed positive relationships and were treated with kindness and respect.

• Staff had time to spend with people and supported them to do the things they liked to do.

• People received support from advocates to make sure that care and support was being provided in their best interests.

• Staff protected people’s privacy and dignity and promoted their independence.

• People were supported to maintain relationships with their family members.

• People received care and support which was personalised to suit their needs and preferences.

• They were able to pursue their hobbies and interests including holidays.

• People were supported to raise concerns should they need to.

• People and staff felt supported by the registered managers.

• The staff team enjoyed working together and supported each other and the registered manager.

• The quality of the service was monitored and people were asked for their feedback and this was acted upon.

• Staff worked in partnership with other professionals and organisations to make sure that people received joined up care and support.

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

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection we rated this service Good (report published on 15 July 2016).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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

The inspection took place on 6 June 2016. It was an announced visit, as we gave the provider notice the day before the inspection. The home provides accommodation for people who are living with mental health or neurological conditions who require nursing or personal care support. There were three people living in the home when we inspected.

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. There was a registered manager in post.

People were safe and staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from harm or abuse and had received relevant safeguarding training. Staff were confident in reporting incidents and accidents should they occur. People were safely supported to take their medicines when they needed them.

There were effective processes in place to minimise and review risks to individuals. Assessments had taken place regarding people’s individual risks and clear guidance was in place for staff to follow in order to reduce risk. Recruitment processes were in place to ensure that staff employed in the service were deemed suitable for the role.

Staff had received training in areas specific to the people they were supporting and this helped to make sure that people received care individual to their needs. People were supported to access healthcare promptly wherever necessary. People were supported to eat and drink enough to meet their individual needs.

The provider worked within the law when supporting people who were unable to consent to their own care. Where this occurred, care was provided in their best interests. Staff were able to explain how they promoted choice where people had variable capacity. The home complied with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff gained people’s consent before providing them with care.

People’s privacy and dignity were promoted and they had strong relationships with staff who were kind and compassionate. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and make their own choices. Staff had good knowledge about the people they cared for and understood how to meet their needs. People planned their care with staff and relatives where appropriate, and various activities were carried out in line with people’s preferences.

The management team visited the home often and people found them approachable. People were encouraged to provide feedback on the service and regular meetings took place within the home. There were many systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and these were used to develop and improve the service.

One person we spoke with told us that all the staff were very good and that they had all helped them make good progress with their health needs.

This person told us that they regularly enjoyed going out for a walk or a coffee and that they were hoping to embark on further educational studies, such as art or creative writing.

The person we spoke with also said: "It’s marvellous – wonderful. They’ve done so much for me, look how well I’m doing…”

They also told us that they could speak to any of the staff if they had any concerns and that they felt safe and happy living in Lindum.

We met and spoke with one of the people living in the home. This person told us that they were very happy living in Lindum, that the staff supported them well and that their privacy and dignity were always respected.

With the person's permission, we looked at their support plan. The person told us that they knew what information was in their plan and told us that they agreed with the content. We asked whether the staff reviewed the information with the person and they told us that staff did that regularly.

The person we spoke with told us that they had regular meetings and could talk to staff at any time if they had any issues or wanted to discuss anything.

This person told us that they enjoyed various hobbies and activities, particularly reading, writing and visiting different pubs. The person said they really enjoyed learning and had been thinking about undertaking more studies, in order to obtain further qualifications.

The person we spoke with told us: "I am happy here and the staff are all very good."

The person also told us: "I like going to the local pub, although I like trying different places as much as possible."

The person we spoke with told us that they had a nice room and they thought Lindum was a lovely home. The person also told us that they liked the garden and we saw that they had a good view of the garden, from where they had chosen to sit in the communal lounge.

People living in the home told us that their needs were met and that they were consulted about the care and support that they were provided with. They were complimentary about the staff that cared for them and told us that they always treated them with respect and that their privacy was respected. They told us that there were enough staff on duty to assist them and that they felt safe living in the home. They also told us that the environment was comfortable and clean and that they were supported to do cooking and to undertake daily individual and group activities.