Archived: Gilwood Lodge

Updated 18 May 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on19 April 2016 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of an adult social care inspection manager and adult social care inspector.

Before our inspection on on19 April 2016 we reviewed the information we held on the service. This included notifications we had received from the provider, about incidents that affect the health, safety and welfare of people who lived at the home. We also checked to see if any information concerning the care and welfare of people who lived at the home had been received.

We spoke with a range of people about the service. They included the operations manager, registered manager, deputy manager, eight staff members, five people who lived at the home and two visiting relatives. Prior to our inspection we spoke to the commissioning department at the local authority and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). We also contacted Healthwatch Blackpool. Healthwatch Blackpool is an independent consumer champion for health and social care. This helped us to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced accessing the service.

During our inspection we used a method called Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). This involved observing staff interactions with the people in their care. SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at the care records of four people, training and supervision records, arrangements for meal provision, records relating to the management of the home and the medication records of four people. We reviewed the services recruitment procedures and checked staffing levels. We also undertook a tour of the building to ensure it was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to live.

Updated 18 May 2016

This inspection visit took place on 19 April 2016 and was unannounced.

This is the services first inspection since it’s registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on 08 November 2015.

Gilwood lodge is registered for the regulated activities accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care and treatment of disease, disorder or injury. The home is located in the south shore area of Blackpool close to the promenade. The home has two floors with lift access to the first floor. Rooms are en suite and there are bathroom and toilet facilities on both floors. Lounges and dining areas are also located on both floors. Private car parking facilities are available for people visiting. The service can accommodate a maximum of 47 people and specialises in providing care for people who live with dementia. At the time of our inspection visit there were 27 people who lived at the home.

There was a registered manager in place. 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.

We found recruitment procedures were safe with appropriate checks undertaken before new staff members commenced their employment. Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed a structured induction training and development programme was in place.

Staff received regular training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.

Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed training had been provided to enable them to support people who lived with dementia. We found staff were knowledgeable about the support needs of people in their care.

We looked at how the service was staffed. We found sufficient nursing and care staff levels were in place to provide support people required. We saw the deployment of staff throughout the day was organised. We saw staff were available to support people when needed and call bells were answered quickly.

We found the registered manager had systems in place to protect people from harm and this was evidenced by safeguarding referrals made to the local authority. We saw evidence that they had taken immediate action to ensure that staff adhered to agreed care plans. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report unsafe care or abusive practices.

The registered manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions.

The environment was maintained, clean and hygienic when we visited. No offensive odours were observed by any members of the inspection team. Hand sanitiser dispensers were prominently placed around the home for the use of staff involved in the delivery of personal care.

We found the environment offered a range of dementia-friendly features to support people with visual, hearing and mobility impairments associated with dementia. These included furniture in a contrasting colour to the carpet, wardrobes and chests of drawers with easy to use openings and warm tones used on walls which were easier to see. The service also had matt surfaces and slip resistant flooring; avoiding patterns, speckles or sparkles that can be confusing.

We found equipment used by staff to support people had been maintained and serviced to ensure they were safe for use.

We found medication procedures at the home were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medicines were safely kept with appropriate arrangements for storing in place.

People who were able told us they were happy with the variety and choice of meals available to them. We saw regular snacks and drinks were provided between meals to ensure people received adequate nutrition and hydration. The cook had information about people’s dietary needs and these were being met.

People visiting the home told us they were happy with their relatives care. One person said, “The staff do a brilliant job. They are very responsive and caring people. I have seen staff dealing with difficult situations and they have never lost their patience.”

The service employed a full time activities co-ordinator and a structured activities programme was in place. We saw activities were arranged throughout the day and these were fun and stimulating for the people taking part.

Care plans we looked at confirmed the registered manager had completed an assessment of people’s support needs before they moved into the home. We saw people or a family member had been involved in the assessment and had consented to the support being provided. One person visiting the home said, “I have been involved in [relatives] care from the day they moved into the home. I am very happy with the care provided.”

We found care records did not always provide staff with clear guidance to meet people's needs. There were gaps or missing information in documentation and care plans lacked detail to assist staff in how to support individuals.

We have made a recommendation about the registered manager seeking guidance related to recordkeeping and care planning.

The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home. People we spoke with told us they were happy and had no complaints.

The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included satisfaction surveys and care reviews. We found people were satisfied with the service they received.