Blaydon Lodge

Updated 23 March 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 10 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 1 days notice of the inspection.

Updated 23 March 2022

At our last inspection in 2015 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found evidence of improvements for the benefit of people using the service. There also was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. Following this inspection, to reflect the improvements the provider has made, we have rated the service as Outstanding.

Blaydon 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. Blaydon Lodge provides short break and respite care for up to two people at any one time. At the time of this inspection one person was staying at the service.

The care service had been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen.

The service had a registered manager. 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, relatives and staff described the registered manager as supportive and approachable. They told us since the registered manager had started there had been significant improvements made to the service.

Relatives and staff enthusiastically described the exceptional care provided at the service. Relatives described the service as a “top quality service”, “absolutely the best place we have ever been to” and “fantastic”. They told us the staff team were “fantastic” and were extremely caring towards their family members. We heard about numerous occasions when staff went ‘above and beyond’ to ensure people’s, sometimes with very complex needs, were supported to achieve their choices and aspirations. Empowering people to communicate and express their needs was an area of strength within the service, as staff had a deep understanding of people’s preferred communication methods. This had developed over the years due to a stable and consistent staff team who had people’s wellbeing at heart.

The registered manager led by example and offered a high level of support to staff and relatives, often supporting relatives with matters outside of their management role.

The registered manager and staff team were extremely committed and dedicated to providing excellent care in line with the service’s values of meaningful and personalised care. People were central to how the service operated. The service was flexible to suit changes in people’s needs and individual family circumstances.

The provider continually evaluated the service to drive through sustained improvement for the benefit of people using the service.

Relatives and staff told us the service was safe.

Medicines were administered safely with accurate records available to show which medicines people had received.

There were enough staff on duty to provide personalised care. The number of staff deployed was flexible and based on the needs of people staying at the service at the time.

There were effective recruitment systems to ensure new staff were recruited safely.

Staff had a very good understanding of the procedures to keep people safe. They also knew how to report concerns but had no concerns about safety. Previous safeguarding concerns had been dealt with effectively including making referrals to the local authority safeguarding team and investigating concerns thoroughly.

Staff told us they received extremely good support. The provider was proactive in ensuring staff completed training relevant to the needs of people staying at the service. This included specialist training to enable staff to care for people with particular needs.

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 supported people to meet their nutritional and healthcare needs. This included people with specialist feeding requirements. Health professionals had been consulted to provide specialist advice and guidance to staff where needed.

People had personalised care plans which clearly described how they wanted to be cared for so that their individual needs and preferences were met.

Relatives only had extremely positive feedback and praise for the service. They felt able to speak to the registered manager or any of the staff team at any time if they needed help and assistance.

The provider had a formal approach for investigating complaints. There had been no complaints received about the service since we last inspected.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.