CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Laxton Hall
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People's risks were assessed and reviewed, safeguarding concerns were investigated and medicines were audited. Inspectors found enough suitable staff, although care staff also carried out cleaning duties.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had induction, training and supervision. People received food and drink suited to their needs and preferences, and staff helped them access health services.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well, respected their privacy and dignity, and involved people and relatives in care planning. Polish language and culture were supported.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs and preferences. People could take part in Polish cultural, religious and social activities, and complaints were responded to and resolved.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager used audits, incidents, safeguarding information, complaints and feedback to identify improvements. Staff and families were encouraged to give feedback.
What inspectors found, February 2024
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but some staff were working beyond their shifts to finish cleaning.
This was an unannounced inspection on 9 January 2024. Inspectors spoke with seven people, four relatives or visitors and seven staff. They reviewed care records, medicines records, audits, accident and incident records and three staff recruitment files.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People were supported in a Polish community, with Polish-speaking staff, Polish food, religious services and activities linked to their culture.
Inspectors found that people's risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely and staff responded to health concerns. People and relatives were involved in care planning, and complaints had been handled and resolved.
The overall Good rating was unchanged from the previous inspection, published on 19 April 2022. This means inspectors found the service consistently met the standards they checked, although the report also noted pressure on staff who carried out both care and cleaning duties.
Polish culture and faith
The home supported people to live in a Polish community. This included Polish-speaking staff, traditional food, Polish books and newspapers, mass and religious support.
“People were supported to live in a Polish community where their culture, religion and traditions were practiced daily.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff speaking politely and calmly, offering choices and including people who could not respond verbally. People's dignity, privacy and independence were respected.
“We are very happy with care here. It's a very pleasant home.” from the report
Risk management
People's risks were reviewed regularly and staff had information in English and Polish to help manage them.
“People's risks had been assessed and reviewed regularly or as their needs changed.” from the report
Food and health support
People received food and drink suited to their needs and preferences. Staff monitored nutrition and referred people to health professionals when needed.
“People received food and drink that met their needs and preferences.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How many staff are normally on each shift, and how do you make sure cleaning duties do not reduce the time available for care?
- 02Are Polish-speaking staff available on every shift for my relative, and how would communication be managed if they were not?
- 03How would you support my relative to attend mass, take part in Polish traditions and continue their preferred activities?
- 04How are my relative's food preferences, allergies and any special diet recorded and checked?
- 05How are families involved in care plan reviews and kept informed if their relative's needs change?
This was an unannounced inspection that looked at all five CQC questions, including the premises and the care provided; it was prompted by a review of information held about the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 February 2024 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, April 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and culturally appropriate care, with some pressure on staffing levels.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 29 March 2022. Inspectors checked whether the home had improved its safety and management systems after the previous inspection. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, and reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe and well-led were both rated Good. Inspectors found that risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely, staff had appropriate recruitment checks, and infection control arrangements were in place.
People and relatives praised the staff's kindness and the strong Polish cultural community. Inspectors also found that staff were sometimes under pressure and that more Polish-speaking staff were being recruited. The home had improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection, and the earlier breaches were no longer in place.
This was not a full review of all five areas. The ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection.
Strong cultural support
The home supported older Polish people through Polish-speaking staff, cultural activities, shared worship and information in Polish and English.
“This Polish community provides for the religious, cultural and the physical needs of people using the service.” from the report
Kind and person-centred care
People and relatives spoke highly of staff's kindness and understanding of individual needs. Inspectors also saw warm interactions and activities involving people.
“People and family members spoke highly of the staff who supported them.” from the report
Improved safety systems
Risks were assessed and reviewed, healthcare advice was followed, and improvements had been made after incidents and the previous inspection.
“Potential risks to people's care and safety were assessed and kept under review to promote their safety.” from the report
Safe medicines management
Medicines were stored, given and disposed of safely. Staff were trained and had their competence checked.
“Medicines were received, stored, administered and disposed of safely.” from the report
Better oversight
The manager had improved quality monitoring and was moving paper records to an electronic system to strengthen oversight.
“The registered manager had improved the systems and processes to assess and monitor the quality and safety of the service.” from the report
Staffing pressure
minorPeople and staff said workers were sometimes very busy and under pressure. The provider was recruiting more Polish-speaking staff, but the report does not say whether this had been completed.
“All people and family members were extremely praising of the staff attentiveness, but also acknowledged how busy they were at times.” from the report
- 01How many additional Polish-speaking staff have been recruited since the inspection?
- 02What staffing levels are in place on each shift, and how do you respond when staff are under pressure?
- 03How much time do staff usually have to talk with people and support activities?
- 04How are risks, incidents and care records now monitored through the electronic records system?
- 05What were the previous ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive, and when will these areas next be reviewed?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 April 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 Laxton Hall
5 rated inspections over 9 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2024Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2022GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2019Requires improvementdown from OutstandingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2017Outstandingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- January 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 27 January 2011.
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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