This was an un announced inspection carried out on 21 March 2017. This was the first inspection the home had received since the change in provider.Middleton Park Lodge provides accommodation and care for up to 50 older people. At the time of our inspection there were 43 people living in the home. The home is purpose built and there is car parking available. The home is divided over two floors and people living there have en-suite rooms. Both floors have communal lounges, dining rooms and bathing facilities. The home has a garden to the rear of the building which is secure.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they felt safe at the home. There were effective systems in place to ensure people’s safety at the home, whilst also encouraging and promoting their independence. Staff could describe the procedures in place to safeguard people from abuse and unnecessary harm.
There were systems in place in the home to ensure that people received their medication as prescribed.
There were at most times enough staff to meet people’s needs, however we spoke to the registered manager and area manager around the arrangements and deployment of staff around the home when staff call in sick and the use of agency staff in the home. Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began work. Staff were given effective supervision and appraisals.
Staff were up to date with all mandatory training in the home. However care staff did not have a good understanding in relation to DoLS. We made a recommendation to the home for all care staff to receive further training in this area to enhance their knowledge.
Staff were aware of the processes in place to report incidents of abuse and had been provided with training on how to keep people safe from abuse and harm. Processes were in place to manage identifiable risks and to promote people’s independence.
People were supported to eat and drink well and to maintain a varied and balanced diet of their choice. People had access to healthcare facilities and support that met their needs. We received mixed responses from people about the food at the home.
People had developed good relationships with the staff team who treated them with kindness and respect. Systems were in place at the service to ensure that people’s views were listened to and their privacy and dignity was upheld and respected.
People's needs had been assessed and care plans outlined their preferences and how they should be supported. Staff showed a good knowledge of these preferences when asked about the people they supported.
People were supported in the main to enjoy activities of their choice. The service had an activity coordinator who worked part time and another activity coordinator had been recruited to support the home; the registered manager told us they were waiting for recruitment checks, which had been requested. The registered manager told us activities would improve greatly once they had two activity coordinators in post.
The provider had quality assurance systems in place which were used to drive improvements within the home.
The provider ensured the premises and equipment were safe to use. We saw evidence of certificates in response to these. At the time of the inspection the lift at the home was out of use and had been for a few weeks, maintenance was underway with this at the time of our inspection. The home had arranged for a stair lift to be put in place at the home. Appropriate risk assessments were in place for this.
People had mixed views as to if the home was run well. Staff told us the registered manager was always approachable in relation to people at the home, but not always to staff. We did see evidence in staff supervisions where some staff had spoken to the registered manager about issues they had at work and personal issues and this had been actioned by the registered manager.