CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Lashbrook House Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, staffing levels were sufficient and medicines were administered safely. Infection prevention arrangements were also found to be effective.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and reviewed, staff received induction and training, and people were supported with food, drink and healthcare. Inspectors also found that consent and best-interest decisions were handled in line with the law.
- Caring?
- Good
- People and relatives described staff as kind, respectful and understanding. Staff promoted independence, involved people and relatives in care decisions, and protected privacy and dignity.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Inspectors found exceptional personalisation, meaningful activities and support for relationships and community links. Staff understood people's histories, preferences and communication needs and adapted care accordingly.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a clear management structure, supportive leadership and quality checks using electronic records. People, relatives and staff were involved in giving feedback and improving the service.
What inspectors found, November 2022
Lashbrook House Care Home is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care that was exceptionally responsive to people's individual lives.
Inspectors visited without notice on 21 and 28 September 2022. They spoke with six people, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They reviewed care records, medicines records, recruitment files, complaints, incidents, audits and other management records.
The home was rated Good overall and was also rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led. It was rated Outstanding for Responsive. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, person-centred care, good food and strong support for people's choices and independence.
The strongest area was activities and personalisation. Staff took time to learn about people's past interests and helped them maintain relationships, join community activities and improve their quality of life. The report says this was the first inspection of the newly registered service, while the previous provider's service had also been rated Good in March 2021.
Meaningful activities
The home offered a wide range of activities and made unusual efforts to connect them with people's past lives, interests and wishes.
“The service was tailored to meet the needs of individual people and were delivered in a way to ensure flexibility, choice and continuity of care.” from the report
Personalised care
Staff took time to understand people's histories, moods and needs. Inspectors saw examples where this helped people become more settled and involved.
“Staff took time to understand people's individual needs and used that to improve their care and outcomes.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives spoke positively about the care. Inspectors saw staff supporting independence and treating people with dignity.
“People were treated with dignity and respect at all times and were not discriminated against.” from the report
Food and choice
People had varied food choices, relaxed mealtimes and support with eating and drinking. The home used feedback to improve meals.
“The dining environment was pleasant, and food was home cooked and well-presented by an enthusiastic catering team.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff on duty, safe recruitment processes and accurate medicines administration.
“On the day of the inspection we saw there were enough staff on duty to meet people's needs.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you find out about my relative's past interests and turn these into regular activities?
- 02How do you make sure staffing levels remain sufficient when staff are absent or people’s needs change?
- 03How will my relative and our family be involved in reviewing their care and making decisions?
- 04How do you support people with dementia who become distressed during personal care?
- 05How do you use family feedback and complaints to make changes to care?
This was an unannounced inspection of the care home with nursing and covered all five CQC questions; the report says it was the first inspection of this newly registered service. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 November 2022 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.
What inspectors found, March 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong COVID-19 infection controls and safe visiting arrangements.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 16 February 2022. Inspectors looked mainly at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures affected people.
Inspectors found good practice. The home had enough suitable personal protective equipment, regular testing, extra cleaning and checks for visitors. Staff were observed using protective equipment correctly, and new residents were tested and supported to isolate when needed.
The home had not had a COVID-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic. Visiting arrangements included pre-booked indoor, garden, window, drive-through, end-of-life and essential-care visits.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not give an overall quality rating or a rated result for the other areas of care.
Protective equipment
The home had suitable protective equipment in stock. Staff had training and regular competency checks, and inspectors saw them putting on and taking off equipment correctly.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Infection prevention
The home used visitor screening, regular testing, extra cleaning and isolation arrangements for new admissions. Inspectors found that infection control plans and procedures were being followed.
“Management plans, policies and procedures were in place, implemented in practice and observed to be followed by staff.” from the report
No reported COVID-19 outbreaks
The home had not had a COVID-19 outbreak since the start of the pandemic. The manager linked this to screening, communication and a stable staff team.
“The home had not had any Covid-19 outbreaks since the start of the pandemic.” from the report
Family visiting
The home continued to support different types of visits, including indoor, garden, window, drive-through, end-of-life and essential-care visits. Visits were arranged safely and in advance.
“Several visitation adjustments had been introduced including end of life, essential care givers, window, garden and drive through visits” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What visiting arrangements are available now, and do relatives still need to book in advance?
- 02How many nursing and care staff are currently in post, and are there any staffing pressures affecting care?
- 03How are new residents tested and supported to isolate when they first arrive?
- 04How often are staff trained and checked on using personal protective equipment?
- 05How are relatives told about the home's current infection status and any changes to visiting rules?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it was not a full assessment of all five areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 March 2022 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 Lashbrook House Care Home
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- November 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 September 2021.
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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38 live-in carers within about an hour of Oxfordshire
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Most charge £980 to £1,300 a week. 32 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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