Longmead House

People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this assessment.

We carried out this assessment to follow up on action we had told the provider to take following our last inspection on 18 July 2023 when we rated the service inadequate.

The service has been in special measures since that date. The purpose of special measures is to ensure that services providing inadequate care make significant improvements.

At this assessment we found improvements had been made. The service is no longer rated inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in special measures.

At our last inspection, the provider was in breach of legal regulations in relation to safety, safe recruitment, person-centredcare, and governance.

At this assessment, we found improvements had been made to safety and safe recruitment, and the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations. However, the provider remained in breach of regulations relating to person-centredcareand governance.

People did not have opportunities to take part in meaningful activities, to be involved in their local community, or to go out other than with their friends and families. This meant people’s lives lacked variety, stimulation and engagement.

The provider had invested in significant improvements to the fabric of the building since our last inspection, but was not involved in the day-to-day running of the service. This meant the provider did not have effective oversight of the service, or processes to ensure good governance was maintained in the manager’s absence.

There were enough trained and experienced staff on duty to meet people’s needs and keep them safe. Staff kept the home clean and hygienic. People’s medicines were managed safely. Lessons were learned when incidents occurred, and learning was shared with staff. Staff understood their responsibility to recognise and report abuse, and knew how to do this.

The manager and staff listened to and understood people’s needs, views and wishes. Staff worked well together to ensure people’s needs were met. Staff supported one another well and that there was a good sense of teamwork at the home. The manager and staff worked well with other professionals to achieve good outcomes for people.