CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Lynde House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care across all five areas, with a previous supervision shortfall quickly addressed.
Inspectors visited over two days in February 2023. The first day was unannounced. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They also observed care and checked care plans, recruitment, training, medicines and management records.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, clean premises, suitable training and detailed care plans. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect, and were supported to make choices and stay involved in their care.
The home offered a range of activities, including a programme for people living with dementia. Inspectors also found good support with healthcare, food and drink, communication, visiting and end-of-life care. The home had remained Good since the previous inspection published in January 2020.
The report says the provider had identified that staff supervision had fallen below its own expected level. An internal audit led to an action plan, and the registered manager acted quickly to address this.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs, with staff visibly available and quick to respond. Medicines were administered, stored and recorded safely.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff showed warmth and kindness. People were treated with dignity, privacy and respect, and were supported to make choices and remain independent.
“Staff interaction with people was characterised by warmth and kindness.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's strengths, preferences, communication needs and health needs. Staff reviewed them regularly when people's needs or wishes changed.
“People's care plans were up to date, personalised and contained detailed information about their unique strengths, likes and dislikes” from the report
Activities and dementia support
People could choose from daily activities and community events. Inspectors saw a dedicated Namaste space offering sensory activities for people living with dementia.
“The programme is implemented daily by staff in a communal space dedicated solely for this purpose.” from the report
Good partnership working
The home worked closely with GPs, physiotherapists, palliative care nurses, the local hospice and the local authority.
“The provider worked in close partnership with various community professionals and external agencies” from the report
Staff supervision had fallen below the home's target
minorAn internal audit found that formal staff supervision had not happened as often as the provider's own policy required. The report says an action plan was put in place and acted on quickly.
“The frequency staff attended formal supervision meetings with their line managers had recently fallen short of the numbers that were expected” from the report
- 01How do you make sure staffing levels remain sufficient when staff are absent or people's needs change?
- 02What action was taken after the audit found that staff supervision had fallen below the provider's policy, and how is this now checked?
- 03How does the falls prevention programme work for my relative, and how are their risks reviewed?
- 04How will you support my relative to take part in activities, including the Namaste programme if appropriate?
- 05How are end-of-life wishes recorded, reviewed and shared with relatives and health professionals?
This was an on-site inspection over two days that looked at the overall service and all five key questions, including both the premises and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 March 2023 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, November 2020
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control arrangements were safe.
This was a targeted inspection on 9 November 2020. It looked only at infection prevention and control because of the coronavirus outbreak response. The inspection was announced.
Inspectors found strong arrangements for visitors, including booked visiting times, temperature checks, hand hygiene and face coverings. The home also offered garden visits, video calls and a separate visiting room to help people keep in touch with relatives.
Inspectors were assured about testing, isolation, zoning, cleaning, personal protective equipment and staff training. The home was inspected but not rated, so this report does not give a full rating of the quality of care or cover the other four CQC questions.
Visitor infection controls
The home limited visitor numbers and used booking, temperature checks, hand hygiene and face coverings to reduce infection risks.
“There were suitably robust measures in place to prevent or minimise the risk of relatives and friends, professionals and others who visited the care home catching or spreading infections.” from the report
Keeping families in touch
The home provided a separate visiting room, garden visits and video calls so people could maintain contact with relatives and friends.
“Alternative arrangements had been developed to help people maintain social contact with their family members and friends.” from the report
Testing and monitoring
People living at the home were checked twice a day for coronavirus symptoms. Staff and residents were part of a regular testing scheme.
“People living in the care home continued to be assessed twice daily for symptoms of Covid-19, including having their temperature checked.” from the report
PPE and cleaning
Inspectors saw staff using PPE correctly and observed regular cleaning of frequently touched areas. Staff had received infection control training.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you manage visits now, and what infection prevention measures do visitors need to follow?
- 02What happens if a resident tests positive for Covid-19, including how isolation and zoning are managed?
- 03How often are residents and staff tested now, and what happens when someone has symptoms?
- 04How do you check that staff use PPE correctly and that high-touch areas are cleaned regularly?
- 05What arrangements are available to help residents keep in touch with family during isolation or visiting restrictions?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control only; the other four CQC questions were not inspected or rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 November 2020 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 Lynde House
4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- January 2020Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 February 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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Most charge £980 to £1,270 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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