Linden House Care Home

This service was previously part of Carders Court Care Home, a residential care home which provided personal and nursing care for up to 150 older people, people with a physical disability and people living with dementia. In September 2022, the provider split Carders Court Care Home into five separate care homes which were registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) individually. Linden House Care Home is one of those services. The last inspection of Carders Court Care Home took place in in February 2021.

People did not always receive support which reflected their assessed needs and risks. They did not always receive support when they needed it and their safety was not always monitored effectively. People and relatives felt staff were competent. 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. Two people were unhappy with the meals provided at the home. Staff supported people with their healthcare needs and referred them for specialist support when they needed it. Feedback from community healthcare professionals was mainly positive. The home environment was purpose built to promote people's independence but needed to be reviewed to ensure it met the needs of people living with dementia, we have made a recommendation about this. There was an improvement plan in place for the home environment.

People were not always supported well, as there were not always enough staff to meet their needs and monitor their safety. People and relatives found staff kind, caring and helpful. Where people were unable to ask for support due to their complex needs, staff anticipated the support they might need. People looked comfortable around staff and we observed staff reassuring people when they were confused or distressed. Care plans included information about people's background and diversity to guide staff about what was

important to them.

Care was not always provided in a way which was responsive to people's individual needs and risks. People sometimes experienced delays when they needed support and risks to their safety were not always monitored effectively. Concerns and complaints were managed in line with the provider's complaints policy. Staff supported people with a variety of group and one to one activities and most people and relatives were happy with the activities available. People's end of life care needs were met.

People did not always receive high quality care, which was personalised and resulted in good outcomes for them. The audits and checks of quality and safety, did not always ensure appropriate standards were being maintained. When audits identified shortfalls, improvements were not always made in a timely way. There were processes in place for people and relatives to share their views about the service. Management and staff worked in partnership with a variety of health and social care community agencies to access any additional support needed.