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CQC report explained · a nursing home

What the CQC found at Lynden Hill Clinic

Requires improvementpublished 12 June 2025, 15 months ago

Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.

The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, September 2020

Lynden Hill Clinic: Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control.

This was a targeted inspection on 25 August 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control measures, including visitors, cleaning, personal protective equipment, testing and admissions.

Inspectors found strong arrangements for visitors, including booking visits, symptom checks, hand hygiene and outdoor visiting areas. The home was clean, with extra cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and disinfection of rooms after rehabilitation.

The home had systems for coronavirus testing, staff risk assessments, social distancing and the safe use of protective equipment. Inspectors were assured that infection risks were being managed.

The service was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not give a full overall rating or ratings for the other four questions.

What inspectors praised
  • Controlled visiting

    Visits were booked and managed to reduce contact between visitors, residents and staff. Visiting areas were cleaned between visits.

    “Information was readily accessible on arrival and before visits, to ensure visitors followed infection prevention and control guidance.” from the report
  • Clean environment

    Inspectors saw the home being cleaned during the visit. There were schedules for more frequent cleaning of high-touch areas.

    “The home was very clean and hygienic.” from the report
  • Testing and safer admissions

    People were tested before admission, and staff had recently received negative test results. Weekly staff testing was being introduced.

    “The service ensured people had tested negative for coronavirus by the hospital and from the community before the service agreed to admit them.” from the report
  • Protective equipment

    The home had designated areas for putting on and removing protective equipment. Inspectors observed staff using it in line with guidance.

    “There were designated areas for donning and doffing PPE, and we observed staff putting on and taking off PPE in accordance with guidance.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Risk assessments still being developed

    minor

    Inspectors signposted the provider to resources to further develop risk assessments for staff at greater risk from coronavirus.

    “We have also signposted the provider to resources to continue to develop their approach to carrying out risk assessments for all of their workforce they have identified are at greater risk of coronavirus.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How are you now carrying out risk assessments for staff identified as being at greater risk from coronavirus?
  2. 02How often are high-touch areas such as door handles and light switches cleaned?
  3. 03How are visits currently booked, checked and managed to reduce infection risks?
  4. 04What testing arrangements are currently in place for residents and staff?
  5. 05What infection control arrangements are used if someone needs to self-isolate?

This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not assess the other four key questions or give a full service rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 September 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, December 2018

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with effective care improved since the previous inspection.

Inspectors visited unannounced on 7 November 2018. They spoke with people, staff and managers, observed care and reviewed care plans, staff records and records about how the home was managed.

The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, risks were assessed, medicines were handled safely and there were enough staff.

People were treated kindly and respectfully. Staff supported people's choices, health, therapies, food and drink needs. Care was personalised, complaints were acted on and quality checks were in place.

The overall rating stayed Good. Effective care improved from Requires Improvement in 2016 because staff had since completed Mental Capacity Act training. End of life care was not inspected because the home did not provide it.

What inspectors praised
  • Safe care

    Risks such as falls and problems with mobility were assessed and managed. Medicines were given by trained staff whose competence was checked regularly.

    “Risks to people in relation to their personal care, health, mobility and risk of falls had been assessed with them, and people had risk assessments in place.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful staff

    People were treated with warmth and compassion. Staff explained care, respected privacy and worked at each person's pace.

    “Staff were warm and respectful when speaking with people. Staff explained what they were doing and why.” from the report
  • Personalised support

    Care plans included individual choices, including food and therapies. The home adapted support for communication, cultural and religious needs.

    “The records we looked at were person centred and people's individual needs were being met.” from the report
  • Strong oversight

    The home used feedback, audits, incident reviews and staff supervision to monitor the service and identify improvements.

    “There were processes in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service provided.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Limited admission scope

    minor

    The home did not accept people who lacked capacity to consent to their care. This could matter if your relative's ability to make decisions changes.

    “The clinic did not accept people who lacked capacity.” from the report
  • No end of life care

    minor

    The home did not provide end of life care, and inspectors did not assess this area. Ask what arrangements would apply if your relative became seriously ill.

    “The provider did not offer end of life care so we could not inspect this area.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Would my relative meet the home's admission criteria if they need help making decisions or their mental capacity changes?
  2. 02How would you respond if my relative's care needs changed during a respite or rehabilitation stay?
  3. 03What arrangements would you make if my relative needed end of life care?
  4. 04How will you manage my relative's individual falls, mobility, medicines and therapy needs?
  5. 05How can my relative or family raise a concern, and how will you keep us informed about the response?

This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions; end of life care was not inspected because the home did not provide it, and the report used a shorter format because the overall rating had not changed. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 December 2018 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Lynden Hill Clinic

2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. September 2020Inspected but not ratedcurrent rating
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    Read what inspectors found at Lynden Hill Clinic →

  2. December 2018Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Lynden Hill Clinic →

  3. May 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. May 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. October 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. April 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. November 2010

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 26 November 2010.

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.

Next steps

Weigh the report against the rest

Care at home

78 live-in carers within about an hour of Wokingham

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Most charge £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 71 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.

“I can truly say that Peter always put Dad at the centre of everything and I know that they found a great friendship in difficult times.”
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