Lashbrook House Care Home

The service had gone the extra mile to find out what people had done in the past, evaluated whether it could accommodate activities to reflect these, and made them happen. The service had recognised and made every effort to encourage and support people to develop and maintain relationships with people that matter to them. The service took a key role in the local community and was actively involved in building further links within community. People told us they enjoyed and benefitted from these links.

Staff at Lashbrook House focused on providing person-centred care and support and achieved exceptional results. Staff took time to understand people's individual needs and used that to improve their care and outcomes. We saw many examples of how people's quality of life and wellbeing had significantly improved.

People told us they felt safe living at Lashbrook House. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The provider continued to recruit staff using initiatives such as overseas recruitment. The provider had safe recruitment and selection processes in place.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People and relatives told us staff were caring. Staff did all they could to promote people's independence and we saw examples of this. People received personalised care, tailored to their individual needs and preferences, and staff supported people and their relatives to be involved with decisions relating to their care. People's privacy and dignity was upheld through the approaches taken by staff as well as in relation to the care environment, as people each had access to their own bedrooms with ensuite bathroom facilities.

People had a pleasant well-presented dining experience which offered a variety of appetising food choices available at times that suited people's preferences. The menu was overseen, and food prepared by an enthusiastic catering team who always looked at creative ways of continuously improving people's dining experience. Staff supported people to maintain food and fluid intakes, including, providing snacks, and

making people hot drinks during the night to help them relax and maintain their comfort. People's feedback on food had been used to improve the dining experience.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff had a particularly good understanding of when the principles of the Mental Capacity Act should be applied. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs and complimented the food at the home.

The home was well-led by a registered manager who was committed to improving people's quality of life. They and the new provider put people at the centre of all they did and had plans to continuously improve people's care. There was a clear management structure in place and a long-standing team of staff who worked well as a team. The provider had clear oversight of the service and effective quality assurance systems in place that they used to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Staff worked well with external social and health care professionals.