Archived: Elstow Lodge

Updated 11 September 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 5 July 2018 and it was unannounced. It was completed on 16 July 2018 when we received information we requested from the provider.

The inspection was carried out by an inspector and an assistant inspector.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed other information we held about the service including the report of our previous inspection and notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us.

Prior to the inspection, we received feedback about the service from the local authority that commissioned the service. This showed that they had no concerns about the quality of care provided to people using the service. However, we both shared concerns about how the two senior managers who owned the service worked together.

During the inspection, we spoke with two people using the service. One person could not speak with us and five others were out for the day. We also spoke with two care staff, an external person who provided activities within the service, the administrator and the registered manager. We received written feedback from an external professional who supported the registered manager with training and development of staff’s skills and knowledge.

We looked at care records for three people to review how their care was planned and managed. We looked at three staff files to review the provider’s staff recruitment and supervision processes. We also reviewed training records for all staff employed by the service. We checked how medicines and complaints were being managed. We looked at information on how the quality of the service was assessed and monitored.

Updated 11 September 2018

This unannounced comprehensive inspection was carried out on 5 July 2018 and completed on 16 July 2018 when we received information we requested from the provider.

Elstow Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service accommodates up to 12 people with learning disabilities and other long-term health conditions. At the time of the inspection, eight people were being supported by the service.

At our last inspection in October 2016, we rated the service ‘good’. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support an overall rating of ‘good’, and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns.

People were safe because there were effective risk assessments in place, and systems to keep them safe from abuse or harm. There were safe staff recruitment processes in place and there was sufficient numbers of staff to support people safely. Staff took appropriate precautions to ensure people were protected from the risk of acquired infections. People’s medicines were managed safely, and there was evidence of learning from incidents.

People’s needs had been assessed and they had care plans that took account of their individual needs, preferences, and choices. Staff had regular supervision and they had been trained to meet people’s individual needs effectively. The requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were being met, and staff understood their roles and responsibilities to seek people’s consent prior to care and support being provided. People had been supported to have enough to eat and drink to maintain their health and wellbeing. They were also supported to access healthcare services.

People were supported by caring, friendly and respectful staff. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff regularly reviewed the care provided to people with their input to ensure that this continued to meet their individual needs, in a person-centred way. The provider had an effective system to handle complaints and concerns. People were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests. The provider was still working towards recording people’s wishes about the kind of care they would like at the end of their lives.

There was a registered manager in post. The provider’s quality monitoring processes had been used effectively to drive improvements. People and staff we spoke with were happy with the quality of the service.