CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Lynwood
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected by safeguarding training, risk assessments, safe recruitment and sufficient staffing. Medicines were administered by trained staff and records and audits were in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had training relevant to people's needs and understood how people communicated. People received support with food, exercise, healthcare, consent and decisions about their care.
- Caring?
- Good
- Inspectors saw staff treating people with patience, kindness and compassion. People's privacy, dignity, independence and involvement in care decisions were respected.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were detailed and individualised, including people's preferences, routines and communication needs. People had one-to-one support, activities, family contact and an accessible complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a registered manager and a positive, person-centred culture. Monitoring systems were used to check quality and safety and to identify improvements.
What inspectors found, March 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with the home remaining Good since 2016.
The CQC carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection in February 2018. Three people lived at the home, and inspectors met two of them. They observed care, spoke with staff and the manager, checked care and medicine records, and contacted families and professionals.
Inspectors found that people were safe and supported by enough staff. Staff were trained, understood people's communication needs, managed risks and gave medicines safely. People were supported to make choices, access healthcare and take part in activities.
The care was described as kind, patient and tailored to each person. Care plans included people's wishes, history, likes and dislikes. The home had a complaints process, although no concerns had been received at the time of the inspection.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as the previous inspection in June 2016.
Personal communication support
Staff used several ways to understand people who could not easily express themselves verbally. This included Makaton, visual choices, play and observing facial expressions and movements.
“Staff used other methods of communication. For example play, Makaton (similar to sign language), visual choices and observation of facial expressions and bodily movements” from the report
Safe staffing and risk management
Inspectors found enough staff to support people individually and safely. Risks were assessed and clear guidance was available for staff.
“There were sufficient numbers of staff employed to keep people safe and make sure their needs were met.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People appeared comfortable with staff, and inspectors saw patience, compassion, laughter and smiles. Staff understood when people needed reassurance or quiet time.
“People were supported by staff that were both kind and caring and we observed staff treated people with patience and compassion.” from the report
Individualised support and activities
Care plans recorded people's preferences, routines and anxieties. People were supported with varied activities, community visits and contact with family and friends.
“People received individual one to one personalised care.” from the report
Open leadership and improvement
The manager and provider used audits, feedback and visits to monitor the home. Inspectors found that the provider acted on information to make improvements.
“The provider's governance framework, helped monitor the management and leadership of the service, as well as the ongoing quality and safety of the care people were receiving.” from the report
Size of the environment
minorOne relative felt the environment was too small, although they still said their family member was safe. Families should view the home and consider whether the space suits their relative.
“the environment is too small but otherwise I feel he is safe.” from the report
- 01How would you support my relative's particular communication needs, including if they cannot speak easily?
- 02How many staff would support my relative on a typical day and during activities or trips out?
- 03How would you assess and manage my relative's risks, including any behaviour that might be challenging?
- 04How would you make sure my relative can make day-to-day choices and have their views heard?
- 05Can we see the rooms and shared areas and discuss whether the environment would be large enough for my relative?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions; the report says the overall rating remained Good from the previous inspection in June 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 March 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.
Every inspection of Lynwood
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 30 July 2014.
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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Devon
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 £1,270 a week. 15 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
“She is such a warm and gentle person while being professional and competent at the same time.”
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
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.