CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Stewart Lodge Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People told inspectors they felt safe. There were enough staff, recruitment checks were completed, risks were assessed, infection control was followed and medicines were managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed and used to create care plans. Staff had relevant training and supported people with healthcare, food, drink and contact with mental health professionals.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff listened, did not rush people and supported them to make choices and remain independent.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans recorded people's preferences, routines and interests. People chose activities and outings, and friends and family could visit without unnecessary restrictions.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager was described as experienced, approachable and involved in people's care. Audits, feedback and reviews were used to monitor and improve the service, although some required DoLS notifications had been late.
What inspectors found, January 2023
Stewart Lodge Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but some regulatory notifications were late.
The inspection took place on 20 December 2022 and 3 January 2023. It was unannounced on the first day, and the inspector returned because the registered manager was unavailable. The inspector spoke with all three people living there, observed care, spoke with staff and reviewed care, medicines, recruitment, training and management records.
Inspectors found that people were safe, treated well and involved in decisions about their care. There were enough staff, medicines were managed safely, the home was clean, and staff supported people's health, meals, activities, privacy and independence.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The overall Good rating means inspectors found consistently good care and management at the time of this inspection. The previous overall rating was also Good, published on 25 June 2019.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe, and staff understood how to recognise and report abuse. Risks to people's safety and wellbeing had been assessed with plans for staff to follow.
“People told us they felt safe at the service and with the staff that supported them.” from the report
Safe medicines support
Inspectors found that people received their medicines as prescribed. Stocks, balances, records, storage and staff competency checks were in order.
“Our checks of medicines stocks, balances and records showed people consistently received the medicines prescribed to them.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff were warm, patient and respectful. They listened to people, responded when support was requested and encouraged independence.
“Conversations between people and staff were warm and friendly.” from the report
Some DoLS notifications were late
minorThe provider had not always told CQC about DoLS authorisations within the required time. Inspectors said this was due to a misunderstanding, and the relevant notifications were submitted after the inspection.
“notifications the provider is required to submit to CQC when DoLS authorisations had been obtained for people, had not always been sent in a timely manner.” from the report
- 01How would you support my relative's particular mental health needs and work with their existing healthcare professionals?
- 02How do you involve each person in agreeing their risks, care plan and daily routines?
- 03What activities and community outings could my relative choose from?
- 04How do you check that medicines are given correctly and that staff remain competent?
- 05How do you make sure any DoLS notifications are sent to CQC on time?
This inspection covered all five key questions and included infection prevention and control; it involved all three people living there, observations, discussions and reviews of selected records. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 January 2023 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 2019
Stewart Lodge Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and personalised care, with minor issues in cleaning and medicine records.
This was an unannounced inspection on 6 June 2019. One inspector spoke with all three people living there, the registered manager and two care workers. They reviewed care records, medicine records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe and were treated kindly. Staff understood people's needs, supported their independence and helped them take part in activities and community trips.
Inspectors found enough trained staff, suitable recruitment checks and good support for people's health, food and medicines. There were minor issues with medicine signatures and the cleaning of some kitchen and bathroom flooring. The manager dealt with the medicine issue during the inspection and arranged a deep clean after the visit.
The home was also rated Good at the previous inspection in December 2016. The report says it continued to meet the characteristics of a Good service.
Kind and respectful care
People said staff were kind and caring. Staff gave people time to make choices, respected privacy and encouraged independence.
“People were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.” from the report
Personalised support
Care records included people's preferences, routines, interests and communication needs. Staff reviewed support monthly and updated records when needs changed.
“People's records contained up to date information for staff about how their care and support should be provided.” from the report
Trained and sufficient staff
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff had relevant training, supervision and checks before working at the home.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Good healthcare support
Staff monitored people's health, sought medical help promptly and followed recommendations from healthcare professionals.
“When people became unwell, staff sought assistance from their GP promptly.” from the report
Open quality monitoring
The manager sought feedback from people and staff and used checks and recommendations from other organisations to improve the service.
“The provider undertook regular safety and quality checks of the service.” from the report
Medicine records
minorTwo staff used one initial on medicine records, which made it unclear whether a medicine had been given or not. The manager changed the process during the inspection.
“This meant it was not immediately clear if a person had received their medicine or not.” from the report
Some cleaning needed
minorThe kitchen and bathroom floors needed more thorough cleaning. The manager arranged a deep clean after the inspection.
“However, the kitchen and bathroom flooring would have benefited from additional cleaning.” from the report
- 01How is the new medicine recording process working, and how do you check that records clearly show when medicines have been given?
- 02Was the deep clean of the kitchen and bathroom flooring completed, and how is cleanliness checked now?
- 03How would you support my relative's particular mental health needs, including any needs linked to their diagnosis or behaviour?
- 04How often would my relative's care plan be reviewed, and how would they be involved in changes to their support?
- 05How do you support people to take part in activities, interests and trips that matter to them?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises, care, medicines, staff and management systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 June 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.
Every inspection of Stewart Lodge Care Home
4 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- January 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2016Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 March 2011.
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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