About the service Pathfields Lodge is a residential care home providing the regulated activity personal and nursing care to up to 48 people. The service predominantly provides support to older people, some of whom live with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 25 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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; however, not everyone using the service had a comprehensive and up to date assessment of their capacity. A programme was underway to ensure that all people had an up to date capacity assessment.
People were supported in a safe way by staff who were trained to do their role, and recruited safely. There were enough staff on site to ensure people’s needs were promptly met.
Medicines were administered accurately by staff who were trained to do so. Areas of the service that were in use were largely clean and tidy. Some areas of the building were not fully in use, and required refurbishment. A plan to do this was in place.
People’s needs were assessed and identified. This included support needs with food and fluid intake, skincare, and any healthcare requirements. Records showed people received the support they required.
Staff were kind and caring in their approach, and respected privacy and dignity. People told us they were given the time they needed to express themselves. Staff knew people’s individual needs, likes, and preferences.
A complaints procedure was in place and people knew how to use it. There was no end of life care being delivered at the time of inspection, but people had plans in place as required.
Staff felt well supervised and supported by the management team. Staff told us morale was good, and they enjoyed working at the service. Audits and checks took place to ensure any issues were found and acted upon.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for the service under the previous provider was requires improvement, published on 9 June 2021.
Why we inspected
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about staffing levels and documentation. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection under the old provider, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Pathfields Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.