Queens Lodge Nursing Home

Updated 30 January 2021

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 the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC’s) response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 12 January 2021 and was announced. It was announced because of the prevalence of Covid-19 in the geographical area and checks were made at the service before inspection to ensure it was safe to proceed.

Updated 30 January 2021

Queens Lodge is a purpose built nursing and residential home located in Blackburn, Lancashire providing care for up to 40 residents. People with nursing or personal care needs can be accommodated. There are 28 single rooms and 6 twin rooms, all with private en-suite facilities. There is lift access to both floors.

We last inspected this service in February 2016 when the service was rated as good.

This inspection was carried out on the 17 September 2018 and was unannounced.

At this inspection we found evidence that continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People told us they felt safe and staff were knowledgeable about safeguarding processes and when to report any concerns to the registered manager or local safeguarding authorities. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people`s needs, likes, dislikes and preferences. Staff were knowledgeable about risk management and how to mitigate risks to keep people safe. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who responded in a timely manner to people when they required assistance.

People received effective care from a staff team who had been trained appropriately and who were supported by the provider and registered manager. Other specialist health care professionals worked with the management and staff to ensure the best possible care was delivered, and staff continually developed their skills. People's consent was obtained prior to care being provided and staff explained to people what they were consenting to. Where people were unable to provide consent, the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) were understood by staff and followed.

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 support this practice.

The views of people using the service, relatives and staff were at the core of quality monitoring and assurance arrangements. The provider and registered manager learnt from concerns and incidents and used this information for continuous improvement. The provider and registered manager recognised the importance of staff being supported in their role from the beginning of their employment. Staff had regular supervision and opportunities to discuss concerns and express their views. Staff said they felt well supported by the management team and felt involved with the development of the service. Staff spoke highly of the management team and said they were able to discuss any issues.

People were supported to have sufficient food and drinks. People had access to healthcare professionals such as their GP as and when required.

People's medicines were managed safely and overseen by a registered nurse or a member of the management team. Senior staff administered medicines and had received training and confirmed they understood the importance of safe administration and management of medicines.

People felt that they were treated as individuals and that they mattered. The care people received was personalised and we saw staff paying close attention to the needs of the people they supported.

People were encouraged to socialise, pursue their hobbies and interests and try new things. There was an activities coordinator and she demonstrated a passion for improving the quality of life for people; she had innovative ideas on how to motivate and keep a person’s interest.

Care plans were comprehensive and captured people's support needs as well as their

preferences regarding the care they received. Care plans were updated every time a change occurred which influenced the way people received support. People were supported to take decisions about their care and be independent.

There was a record of people's end of life wishes to ensure their needs could be met at this time.

The manager and the provider carried out a regular programme of audits to assess the quality of the service, and we saw that these were comprehensive and capable of identifying shortfalls which needed to be addressed. Where shortfalls were identified, records demonstrated that these were acted upon promptly.