Synergy Leicester Care and Support Ltd

Updated 1 February 2023

About the service

Groby Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 12 people. The service provides support to people with dementia, mental health and physical disabilities. The service is provided in a converted house set over 2 floors. There is access to a courtyard garden. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Environmental risks were not always mitigated. The registered manager addressed these concerns immediately during our inspection. Medicines were managed safely. There were safe systems of recruitment in place. Staff received safeguarding training and knew what to do if they thought someone was at risk. People's needs were assessed, and clear risk assessments were in place to guide staff.

People were cared for by staff who were well trained and skilled to deliver the support they needed. Staff had regular supervision and were encouraged to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff supported people to eat a healthy diet and access other health professionals when needed.

Feedback was positive about the quality of care and support people received. People experienced care that was personalised. We saw a warm and caring approach by staff with positive and kind interactions between staff and people.

People received personalised care and support in accordance with their individual needs. Care plans provided guidance on how to support people, and included their preferences and communication needs.

Feedback was sought and acted on. Staff worked in effective partnership with external professionals. The management team had good oversight of the service and demonstrated passion and commitment to the continued development of the service. Staff were supported within their roles and the registered manager supported staff with their development.

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.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 1 April 2022 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 25 June 2019.

Why we inspected

We inspected this service to give it a rating.

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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Updated 1 February 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector. An inspection manager attended to observe the inspector's practice.

Service and service type

Groby Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Groby Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We completed observations of staff engagement with people using the service. We spoke with 1 person who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager and 4 care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included 2 people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at training data and 2 staff files in relation to recruitment. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies, staff allocation, accidents and incident records analysis and complaints.