Star Care Lodge

Updated 1 April 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. 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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Star Care Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care and support provided. We spoke with three members of staff including the registered manager, senior support workers and support workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and maintenance servicing records. We contacted two professionals who regularly have contact with the service.

Updated 1 April 2020

About the service

Star Care Lodge is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 11 people aged 18 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 13 people with mental health needs. The service was set in one adapted building. People had their own bedroom, some with en-suite bathrooms, and shared communal spaces such as lounges and dining areas.

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

There were enough staff to make sure people received the support they were assessed as needing, including going out to do the things they wanted to do. Some people needed more support to stay safe than others. Risks were carefully considered and positively managed while promoting independence. Staff understood their responsibilities in safeguarding people from abuse and helping people to understand how to stay safe.

Staff received the training, support and supervision they needed to carry out their role and continue with their personal development. Staff supported people to maintain and improve their health and well-being by encouraging a healthy diet and to access healthcare when needed.

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.

People were part of the local community, accessing local shops and leisure opportunities. People were supported to gain work, paid or voluntary if they were able to.

People’s care and support was individual, planned and provided in a way that put them at the centre of planning. Staff knew people well, their likes, dislikes and what and who was important to them. The individual way people communicated was taken into account when planning their support, including their literacy skills or behaviour.

There was an open culture, led by a registered manager, who was described as being approachable and supportive by staff. People clearly knew the registered manager well and were relaxed in their company. The provider and registered manager had a good oversight of the service, using their monitoring processes to make sure people received a good quality and safe service.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (Published 20 April 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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