The Lodge

Updated 23 January 2020

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type:

The Lodge is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection:

The inspection took place on 6 January 2020 and was announced. We gave the service one hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because we needed to be sure that the provider or manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before inspection:

We reviewed the information we held about the registered provider, including previous notifications. A notification is information about important events, which the registered provider is required to send to us by law. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During our inspection:

We spoke with three people who used the service, two members of staff and the registered manager. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not speak with us.

We looked three care plans and risk assessments, three staff recruitment files, staff training records and a range of records about people's care and how the service was managed. These included medicine administration record (MAR) sheets, satisfaction surveys, policies and procedures and quality assurance audits.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to corroborate evidence found. We spoke with three relatives and one professional by telephone, to obtain their views of the service.

Updated 23 January 2020

About the service:

The Lodge is a residential care home, registered to provide care for up to 15 people with mental health support needs and physical disabilities in one adapted building. Eleven people were using the service at the time of inspection.

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

People told us they felt safe using the service. Staff knew how to recognise and report signs of abuse. There were risk assessments in place for each person who used the service. Accidents and incidents were recorded and monitored. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and the provider ensured all new staff had the relevant checks carried out before they started working at the service. People were supported with their medicines in a safe way and were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection.

Staff received an induction and on-going training to support them in their roles. People had access to services they required to maintain their health and staff supported them accordingly. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff encouraged people to eat and drink enough to help keep them healthy.

People were treated with dignity and respect and staff encouraged them to maintain their independence. They had equal opportunities, regardless of their abilities, their background or their lifestyle. People were able to make decisions about their care in a way that suited their needs and their views were taken into account. Staff were aware of the importance of maintaining people's confidentiality.

People received personalised care. Care plans were regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they contained accurate information about people’s needs. People were encouraged and supported to maintain links with the community, to help ensure they were not socially isolated. There was a system in place to inform people how to make a complaint and how it would be managed.

People and their representatives felt the service was managed well and staff felt supported. People who used the service, their representatives, staff and other professionals were asked for their views about the service and they were acted on. Staff had access to policies and procedures to guide them in their roles. They were aware of the ethos of the service and understood their responsibilities and who they were accountable to.

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

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated good (published 5 July 2017).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.