The Lodge

Updated 31 August 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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

This was a focused inspection to check whether the provider had met the requirements of the Warning Notice in relation to Regulation 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 on a concern we had about the staffing levels in the service. We also received concerns in relation to the safety of the service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

The Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. The Lodge is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and nine members of staff including the Area manager, nurses, senior care assistants, domestic staff, care assistants and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

Updated 31 August 2022

About the service

The Lodge is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 36 people. The service provides support to adults and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people using the service.

The care home accommodates people in one adapted building across three floors. There are communal living areas, bathrooms and a dining space. The home also has a garden with has several seating areas.

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

Risks to people were assessed, and measures were taken to mitigate risks to ensure people received care and support in a consistent and safe way. Staffing rotas evidenced there were enough staff deployed to provide people with the care and support they required; the provider had reviewed and increased staffing levels following our previous inspection.

Medicines were safely managed and administered by trained nurses and senior care staff, staff received regular observations of their practice. Staff were recruited safely, and people were protected from the risk of abuse.

There was a positive, person centred approach to the planning and delivery of people's care. Staff knew the people they were supporting well and understood how to support people in line with their preferences and wishes. The provider and manager had quality assurance systems in place which ensured all aspects of the service were regularly audited. Where issues were identified, action plans were put in place to improve the quality of the service.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 1 February 2022). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. We also received concerns in relation to the safety of the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.