CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Athorpe Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, February 2020
Athorpe Lodge was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some seating and redecoration work still noted.
This was an unannounced planned re-inspection on 29 January 2020. One inspector and an Expert by Experience spoke with people, relatives, staff and therapists. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines records and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines procedures, suitable risk plans and kind care. People received suitable food, healthcare support and activities. Their care plans reflected their needs and preferences.
The home had improved from Requires Improvement at the May 2018 inspection. An inspection in April 2019 was withdrawn because of an issue with some information gathered. Inspectors said two units needed washable seating and some areas needed redecoration. New furniture had been ordered and redecoration had started.
Enough staff
Inspectors saw enough staff available to provide timely care. Staff knew people and understood the risks linked to their care.
“During our inspection we observed staff interacting with people and found there were enough staff available to ensure people received timely care.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff were friendly, polite and caring. People were treated with dignity and offered choices about their daily lives.
“During our inspection we observed staff interacting with people in a kind and caring way.” from the report
Personalised care
Care records reflected people's needs and preferences. People could choose activities and were supported to communicate their views.
“We looked at care records and saw they were informative and reflective of the care and support being delivered.” from the report
Improved management systems
The provider had improved risk management, medicines processes, care planning and audits since the previous inspection.
“Since our last inspection audits had been embedded in to practice and were clearly identifying areas which needed addressing.” from the report
Washable seating needed
minorTwo units needed seating that could be washed and kept clean. The registered manager said new furniture had been ordered.
“However, two units required washable seating to enable them to be kept clean.” from the report
Some redecoration needed
minorInspectors found that parts of the home needed redecoration. Work had already started when the inspection took place.
“However, some parts of the home required redecoration.” from the report
- 01Have the new washable seats been installed in the two units, and how are they being kept clean?
- 02What redecoration has been completed since the inspection, and what work remains?
- 03How will you make sure my relative's care plan reflects their individual needs, choices and preferences?
- 04How do you support people who are medically fit for hospital discharge but need therapy before returning home?
- 05How are medicines, accidents and care risks checked and reviewed now?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC areas, with care, the premises, records, medicines and management systems examined. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 February 2020 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, June 2018
Athorpe Lodge was rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care, but repeated safety, staffing, care planning and management problems.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 1 May 2018. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and visiting professionals. They observed daily care and meals, and checked care records, medicines, staff files and quality checks.
The home was caring, and people were generally treated with kindness and respect. Staff supported activities, involved people in choices and helped with end of life care. However, inspectors found that risks, medicines, dietary needs and some care plans were not always managed properly.
The home had not fully fixed problems found at the previous inspection in May 2017. Three breaches of regulations continued. The overall rating remained Requires Improvement, with Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led also rated Requires Improvement. Caring was rated Good.
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff treating people kindly and protecting their dignity and privacy.
“Staff were kind and caring in their manner.” from the report
Choice and dignity
People were supported to make choices, maintain independence and have their privacy respected.
“People were supported to express their choices and preferences and staff ensured they were respected.” from the report
Activities and social contact
People enjoyed a range of activities, including clubs, trips, concerts and community visits.
“People also said that they enjoyed community schools performing concerts and plays and going to the local pub each week.” from the report
End of life support
Care plans recorded people's wishes and preferences, and inspectors found that people nearing the end of life were supported sensitively.
“People being cared for at the end of their lives were kept comfortable and supported sensitively.” from the report
Positive views of management
People, relatives and staff gave positive feedback about the new manager and felt that improvements had begun.
“People, relatives and staff consistently offered positive feedback about the management team.” from the report
Unsafe care and medicine records
seriousSome risk assessments lacked important moving and handling information. Medicines, creams and as-needed medicines were not always given or recorded safely.
“Risks associated with people's care were not always managed effectively.” from the report
Insufficient staffing on one unit
seriousOn Hampton unit, people waited for help, including almost two hours in one observed case. Staff said staffing was unsafe and affected people's care.
“This was a repeated breach of Regulation 18 Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.” from the report
Dietary instructions not always followed
seriousInspectors found that recommended food and fluid requirements were not always followed. This included a pureed diet and thickened drinks.
“This put them at risk of choking.” from the report
Care plans lacked important detail
needs fixingSome care plans did not explain the equipment and methods needed to move people safely. One person was left without a required pressure-relieving cushion.
“Some care plans did not contain sufficient information and guidance that staff needed to ensure care delivered was in line with people's needs.” from the report
Checks and staff support were incomplete
needs fixingAudits did not always identify problems or ensure actions were completed. Staff supervision was irregular and some mandatory training was missing.
“Systems in place to monitor the service, did not always identify areas on concern.” from the report
- 01What has changed on the unit where inspectors found people waiting too long for help, including at night and weekends?
- 02How do you now check that moving and handling plans contain the correct sling size and loop configuration?
- 03How are medicines, as-needed medicines and prescribed creams now recorded and checked?
- 04How do you make sure speech and language therapy and dietitian advice, including pureed food, thickened drinks and special diets, is followed?
- 05Have all staff completed the missing training and received regular supervision?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions and checking whether improvements had been made since the May 2017 inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 June 2018 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Athorpe Lodge
4 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2020Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2018Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 December 2010.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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