CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Charnwood Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but end-of-life wishes were not yet recorded.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 31 October 2019. One inspector, a mental health nurse specialist adviser and an Expert by Experience observed care, spoke with people and staff, and checked care, medicines, staffing and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse, received their medicines safely, and were supported by trained staff who understood their complex needs.
People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Their care was personalised, and they were supported with choice, independence, activities and access to the community. Inspectors recommended that the home improve planning for people's end-of-life wishes. The home had improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection.
Safe medicines practice
Medicines were stored and managed safely. Regular audits helped check that people received the right support.
“Medicines were stored safely, and there was a robust stock management practice in place.” from the report
Skilled staff
Staff had training and experience in supporting complex behavioural needs. Restraint was used as a last resort and records showed improvements for at least one person.
“Staff were skilled to manage and support complex behavioural needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff communicate respectfully, protect privacy and support people to make choices.
“Staff were kind and supported people in a compassionate manner. They treated people with utmost dignity and respect.” from the report
Personalised support and activities
Care reflected people's preferences and history. People could take part in activities at home and in the wider community.
“People were supported to follow their interests. They had access to a variety of activities within the home and in the wider community.” from the report
Improved leadership
The service had improved since the previous inspection. The registered manager provided stronger oversight and staff said they felt more supported.
“The service had improved since our last inspection.” from the report
End-of-life planning
needs fixingRecords did not show that people's wishes had been discussed and recorded for the end of their lives. Inspectors made a recommendation for the home to improve this planning.
“People's records did not show care planning was completed around their needs in the event of their passing.” from the report
Access within the building
minorThe home is spread over three floors and has no lift. This may make it unsuitable or difficult to access for some people.
“There is no lift which means it may not be accessible for some people.” from the report
- 01How do you now discuss and record each person's wishes about end-of-life care?
- 02How do you make sure staffing levels remain sufficient while you recruit permanent staff?
- 03How would you support someone who cannot manage the home's three floors because there is no lift?
- 04How are restraint incidents reviewed, and what changes have been made to reduce the need for restraint?
- 05How are people involved in choosing activities, community visits and decisions about their care?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC areas, including the premises and the care provided; all five ratings were assessed during this visit. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 December 2019 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, November 2018
Charnwood Lodge was rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care, but concerns remained about safety, activities, records and management.
This was an unannounced inspection on 11 September 2018. The inspector and an expert-by-experience spoke with people, relatives were considered through information received, and staff and managers were interviewed. They also observed care and checked medicines, staff records, maintenance records and quality checks.
The home had been through a difficult period, with many staff leaving and heavy use of agency staff. A new manager and deputy manager had started, and improvements were beginning. People were receiving their medicines safely, staff were caring and kind, and people were supported with meals, healthcare, choice and privacy.
However, risk assessments and care plans were not fully up to date. Some areas were not clean, laundry arrangements did not follow good infection control practice, and people had not always been able to go out or take part in meaningful activities. The overall rating was Requires Improvement for the second time. Caring was rated Good, while Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led were rated Requires Improvement.
Kind and respectful care
Staff were caring and patient. They respected people's dignity, privacy and choices, including when providing one-to-one support.
“Staff were supportive to people, and demonstrated kindness in their approach.” from the report
Personalised accommodation
People's rooms and flats were arranged around their interests and preferences. Some had cooking and sitting areas so they could avoid busy communal spaces if they wished.
“We saw that each person's room had been personalised to reflect their interests and hobbies.” from the report
Management was open about problems
The provider shared an action plan and acknowledged where improvements were still needed. Staff said they had confidence in the new manager.
“The provider was open and honest with us about the challenges the service had faced and what they were doing in response to this.” from the report
Past safety incidents
seriousThere had been incidents where one person's behaviour had affected the safety of other people and staff. The person had since moved elsewhere, and the report says people were beginning to feel safe again.
“This had left people and staff not feeling or being safe, as staff did not have the skills to support the person.” from the report
Care and risk records were out of date
needs fixingStaff knew people's needs, but written risk assessments and some care plans had not been updated after people's needs changed.
“Whilst staff understood the risks related to each person, the written risk assessments had not been recently updated.” from the report
Cleanliness and laundry controls
needs fixingSome communal areas and bathrooms were not clean. The laundry did not clearly separate dirty and clean items, creating a risk of contamination, although action was taken after this was raised.
“The laundry area should have a 'dirty to clean' workflow system so that clean garments did not risk being contaminated by dirty or soiled items.” from the report
Limited activities and outings
needs fixingStaffing problems had reduced opportunities for community activities and meaningful activities at home. Improvements were starting, including plans for an activity worker.
“People had not always had the opportunity to engage in the community, or undertake activities in their home environment which were meaningful to them.” from the report
Staffing and management instability
needs fixingMany staff had left, absenteeism was high and agency staff were used heavily. The new management team was rebuilding the staff group and putting systems in place.
“Since our last inspection, there continued to be concerns about the service's management.” from the report
- 01How many agency staff are currently working here, and how are you ensuring people have regular staff who know their needs?
- 02Have all risk assessments, care plans and health action plans now been updated when people's needs changed?
- 03What community outings and meaningful activities are now available, and how often does each person take part?
- 04What changes were made to the laundry and cleaning arrangements after the inspection?
- 05How are staff training, supervision and the new management systems being checked and kept up to date?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions and the overall quality of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 November 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 Charnwood Lodge
4 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2018Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 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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Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 82 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
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