Lindum Park care home was inspected on 4 and 9 July 2018; this was an unannounced inspection. Lindum Park Care Home is a care home. It provides care to people with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. 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 is registered for up to 17 people. On the day of our inspection 13 people were using the service.

There was a registered manager in post who was available for the second day of the inspection. 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.

At the last inspection the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service retained a rating of Good.

People continued to be protected from the risk of abuse and felt safe. Staff had a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities if they suspected abuse was happening. The registered manager shared information with the local authority when needed. People received their medicines as prescribed and the management of medicines was safe. They continue to be supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had received adequate training for their role.

People were protected from the risks of inadequate nutrition. Specialist diets were provided if needed. Referrals were made to health care professionals when needed. People lived in an environment that had been adapted to support their care. There were times when recording of the use of the principles were not documented to show how people had been supported to make their own decisions about a specific area of care.

People who used the service, or their representatives, were encouraged to contribute to the planning of their care. People were treated in a caring and respectful manner and staff delivered support in a relaxed and considerate manner. When required the services of an advocate was available for people.

People received individualised care from staff who had an excellent understanding of their needs. They were supported to take part in a range of social activities of their choice that placed an emphasis on building independence and self-esteem. People were provided with information about their care in a format that they could understand.

People who used the service, or their representatives, were encouraged to be involved in decisions and systems were in place to monitor the quality of service provision. People also felt they could report any concerns to the management team and felt they would be taken seriously

We inspected Lindum Park House on 18 February 2016. The inspection was unannounced.

Lindum Park House is a Grade 2 listed building situated close to the centre of Lincoln city. It is registered to provide accommodation, care and support for up to 17 people who experience issues with their mental health. There were 14 people living in the home on the day of our visit.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of the inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered

necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves. At the time of our visit no-one was subject to any restrictions to their freedom.

People were treated with respect and kindness. They were involved in planning the care and support they wanted to receive. They were encouraged to express their views and opinions and be involved in how the home was run.

People were able to make their own choices and decisions and staff knew how to support them appropriately if they had any difficulty doing so. They were supported to enjoy a varied social life and engage in hobbies and interests that were important to them.

People received support and information about how to stay safe and staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns for people’s safety and welfare. Systems were in place to manage complaints and people knew how to use the system should they need to.

People received their medicines in a safe way and they had good access to a range of healthcare services. They were supported to eat and drink enough to stay healthy.

Staff had a good understanding of people’s needs and wishes and they received appropriate training and support to ensure they met them in the ways people wanted. There were enough staff employed to ensure people’s needs were met in a timely manner and the provider had carried out checks to ensure that staff were suitable to work with the people who lived in the home.

Effective quality assurance systems were in place to identify any shortfalls and improve the care and support people received. The registered manager provided effective leadership which enabled open communication and a supportive culture.

We reviewed all the information we hold about this provider, and carried out a visit on 3rd January 2014. We talked to people who used services, observed how people were being cared for and looked at records kept on people in the home.

People told us about their experiences of living at the home, how it was run and how they were cared for and supported by members of staff. Staff told us that the home provides care and support for people whist seeking to maintain and improve their own skills and independence.

People told us they were happy living there and were well looked after. They told us they felt comfortable, safe and well cared for by staff of the home. One person who lived there told us, “I am happy with staff, food good. I would go to staff for help if needed.” Another person told us” I could go to XXXX (The Manager) if I had a problem and she would sort it out for me.”

As part of our inspection we spoke with several people who use the service and a selection of staff members. There were no visitors to the home on the day of our visit.

During our visit to Lindum Park House on 13 September 2012 people told us what it was like to live at this home and described how they were treated by staff and their involvement in making choices about their care and how the home was run. They told us they were happy living there and were well looked after. They told us they felt safe and care staff understood their needs.

We spoke with one person who had recently moved to the home. They said, “I wanted to come here. I feel safe here.”

One person told us, “We have a big say in the running of the home.”

Another person told us about their involvement in the home. They said, “I do the food shopping every week with the staff. We go to the supermarket. I really enjoy doing that.”