CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Lambourne House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff managed individual risks, medicines, staffing and infection control effectively.
- Effective?
- Good
- People had detailed support plans, access to healthcare and support with food, communication and independence. Staff had relevant training, supervision and competency checks.
- Caring?
- Good
- People received kind and compassionate care. Staff respected privacy and dignity and helped people make choices using their preferred communication methods.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised around people's needs, goals and interests. People were supported to communicate, take part in activities and maintain contact with family.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The service had strong management and quality checks. Staff and relatives described the manager and staff as supportive, open and approachable.
What inspectors found, December 2021
Lambourne House was rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found kind, personalised care and effective management.
This was an unannounced first inspection after the service registered with the CQC. Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience visited on 06 and 07 December 2021. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and a visiting professional, observed care and communication, and checked care, medicine, staffing and management records.
The inspectors found that people were safe and supported by staff who knew their needs well. Care was kind and respectful. People were helped to make choices, develop independence, maintain relationships and take part in activities they enjoyed.
The home was clean, well maintained and adapted to people's sensory and physical needs. Staff had suitable training, medicines were managed safely, and the service worked with health and social care professionals. The overall rating was Good, as were the ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
Activities and community life
People were supported to follow their interests and take part in activities in the local area. Staff provided one-to-one support when needed.
“Staff interact with people in a positive way, everyone is supported to access activities” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw warmth, respect and sensitivity in the way staff supported people. Privacy, dignity and personal choices were taken seriously.
“People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity.” from the report
Personalised communication
Staff used individual communication plans, gestures, photographs, objects and other tools to help people understand choices and daily plans.
“People had individual communication plans that detailed effective and preferred methods of communication, including the approach to use for different situations.” from the report
Learning and independence
People were encouraged to take part in daily tasks and work towards greater independence. Staff reviewed incidents and shared learning.
“This supported the person to work towards being more independent with this task.” from the report
Questionnaires were not always effective
minorFeedback from relatives about the general questionnaires was mixed. One relative preferred personal contact with the manager, so families should ask how their views are gathered and acted on.
“Feedback was mixed some felt the questionnaires were not always effective.” from the report
Recruitment challenges
minorThe service was working through recruitment difficulties. The manager described contingency arrangements, including providing direct support when needed.
“They told us of recruitment challenges they were working through and provided details of contingency measures” from the report
- 01How many permanent staff currently work at the home, and how are recruitment challenges affecting staffing?
- 02What contingency arrangements are used when there are staff shortages?
- 03How do you gather feedback from people who use different communication methods?
- 04How are relatives' views and concerns recorded and acted on?
- 05How will you continue developing the sensory room and staff understanding of people's sensory needs?
This was an unannounced planned first inspection covering all five CQC questions, the premises, care provided and infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 December 2021 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Lambourne House
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2021Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 September 2020.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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28 live-in carers within about an hour of West Sussex
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £1,020 to £1,170 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.