Whitelodge Care Home

Updated 7 April 2022

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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

Whitelodge Care Home 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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we had received about the home since they registered with us. We reviewed CQC notifications. Notifications describe events that happen in the service that the provider is legally required to tell us about.

The provider was asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, deputy, three staff, and six people. We observed staff practices and how they interacted with people. We reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the home. This included people’s care records, training records and staff recruitment records. We considered all this information to help us to make a judgement about the home.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found.

Updated 7 April 2022

About the service

Whitelodge Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 21 people. At the time of the inspection there were 18 people living at the home. There were communal lounges and dining areas. People also have access to a garden area.

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

All staff understood their responsibility to keep people safe from harm. People were supported to take positive risks. Risks to people had been assessed with actions in place to help keep people safe. There was enough staff to safely provide care and support. Checks were carried out on staff before they started work to assess their suitability. Medicines were well managed, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

The service was effective in meeting people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision and support. The annual training programme equipped staff with essential skills and knowledge. Arrangements were made for people to see a GP and other healthcare professionals when they needed to do so. 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 home supported this practice.

Staff were caring, and people were treated with kindness and respect. Staff knew people well and understood how to communicate with them. People's privacy was respected, and their dignity and independence promoted. Staff had a good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner.

The home was responsive to people’s health and social needs. People’s care records were reflective of people's individual care needs and preferences. They were reviewed on a regular basis. People knew about the home's complaints procedures and knew how to make a complaint.

Staff were enthusiastic and happy in their work. They felt supported within their roles. Staff described working together as a team, they provided person-centred care and helped people to achieve their potential. Quality monitoring systems were in place, and the provider completed various audits to assist them in monitoring and helping them to identify how to improve people's experiences.

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

Rating at last inspection

The service was taken over by another provider and registered with us on 16 December 2020. This is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to check whether the provider was meeting legal requirements and regulations, and to provide a rating for the service as directed by the Care Act 2014

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

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