Layden Court Care Home

People could access healthcare when needed. Staff monitored people's health and contacted healthcare professionals for advice.

“People told us they were able to access health care at the service and this was confirmed with relatives.” from the report

People and relatives gave positive feedback about the food. Meal preference sheets recorded people's likes, dislikes and special dietary needs.

“Overall, we received positive feedback about the meals provided and people told us their individual needs and preferences were met.” from the report

Staff said they felt supported and able to raise concerns. Inspectors said managers responded openly to concerns found during the inspection.

“Staff told us they felt supported, and management were approachable.” from the report

The provider's recruitment policy included pre-employment checks to help make safer recruitment decisions.

“The provider's recruitment policy helped them recruit suitable staff.” from the report

Care plans and risk assessments were not always accurate or detailed enough. Problems included unclear choking guidance, incomplete wound checks, faulty or switched-off falls sensors and call bells out of reach.

“Risk assessments and care plans were not always accurate or sufficiently detailed to enable staff to support people safely.” from the report

Staff competency checks were missing, and records did not always show that creams and pain-relief patches had been applied correctly. Some liquid medicines were not dated when opened.

“Medicines were not managed safely. This placed people at risk of harm.” from the report

Some safeguarding concerns were not referred to the local authority or shared with the CQC. Accident, incident and behaviour records were incomplete.

“The provider had not ensured people were protected from the risk of abuse.” from the report

Staff were too busy to spend meaningful time with people or supervise those at risk of falls. Some people did not receive timely support with meals.

“We concluded there were not enough staff on duty to meet people's needs.” from the report

Training in dementia care and supporting behaviour that may challenge was not yet effective enough. Some people did not have clear guidance to help staff provide suitable care.

“People living with dementia and people with behaviours that challenge did not have clear plans or guidance in place to guide staff about how best to support them.” from the report

Quality systems had not identified or corrected important problems. Some food charts were incomplete and records were not always accurate or up to date.

“The provider's quality assurance systems and processes were not effective and had not enabled them to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service.” from the report