CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and risks were assessed and reviewed. Staffing, recruitment, medicines, cleanliness and infection control were found to be safe.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs and choices were assessed, staff were trained, and people received support with food, healthcare and adapted surroundings. Staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, empathy, privacy and dignity. People were supported to make decisions and develop their independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and people and relatives were involved in planning and reviews. People were supported with communication, activities, family relationships and end of life wishes.
- Well-led?
- Requires improvement
- The home had a person-centred culture and approachable management, but quality audits did not consistently identify inaccurate or outdated care documentation.
What inspectors found, November 2019
Rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, personalised care, but leadership checks did not always keep records accurate.
This was an unannounced inspection over two days. The inspector reviewed care and medicine records, staff recruitment and management records, and spoke with a person using the service, staff, a relative and a health professional.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Responsive. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, supported by suitable staff, given safe medicines and helped to access healthcare. Staff were kind, respected privacy and dignity, and supported people to make choices, stay independent and take part in activities.
Well-led was rated Requires Improvement. Audits did not always find inaccurate or out-of-date information in care records. For example, records gave conflicting information about falls risk, and one care plan still said a person enjoyed going to church when this was no longer correct.
The overall rating stayed Good, the same as at the previous inspection published on 27 May 2015. However, the well-led rating fell from Good to Requires Improvement.
Safe support
Inspectors found effective systems to protect people from abuse and manage risks. Staff were described as sufficient in number and safely recruited.
“Systems in place ensured people were kept safe.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff supported people with empathy and respected their privacy, dignity, choices and independence.
“People were supported by kind and caring staff who treated them with empathy.” from the report
Personalised care
Staff knew people well and adapted support to their individual communication, needs, interests and changing presentation.
“People were supported by staff who knew them well and who provided personalised care to meet their specific needs.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People were supported to follow their interests, go out, take part in day trips and maintain family relationships.
“People were supported to follow their interests where possible.” from the report
Least restrictive support
The home used positive behaviour support and did not use restraint, seclusion or segregation during the inspection.
“The service used positive behaviour support principles to support people in the least restrictive way.” from the report
Care records were not always accurate
needs fixingAudits did not consistently identify conflicting or outdated information in care files. This included different records about falls risk and an old reference to attending church.
“Audit systems in place to check the quality of the service were not always effective.” from the report
- 01How do you now check that care plans and risk records contain consistent, up-to-date information?
- 02What changes have been made to the care-file audit process since the inspection?
- 03How do you record and respond when a person's interests, communication or needs change?
- 04How do you make sure staff use the least restrictive approach if someone becomes distressed or their behaviour presents a risk?
- 05How are families involved in reviewing care plans and sharing feedback?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the care, premises and management of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 November 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, May 2017
The Lodge rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with a recent medication error reported and action taken.
This was an unannounced inspection on 13 April 2017. The home could support up to four people, and two people were living there at the time. One inspector observed care, spoke with staff, the registered manager and an advocate, and checked care plans, medicines records, risk assessments and quality checks.
Inspectors found good care in all five areas. Staff understood safeguarding, managed risks while promoting independence, and there were enough staff. Medicines were stored and given safely by trained staff. People had support with food, drinks, healthcare, communication, activities, privacy and dignity.
The home was rated Good overall, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means the inspection found the service was meeting the standards checked, although the report also records a recent medication error that had been referred for safeguarding and followed by action.
Enough staff
Inspectors saw the staffing arrangements in practice and found enough staff to provide the one-to-one support people needed, including arrangements at night.
“People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to ensure their needs were met.” from the report
Personalised daily life
Staff knew people's routines, interests and dislikes. People were supported with activities such as shopping, going out, visiting a place of worship and taking trips.
“This demonstrated that the service provided was specific to the individual and was person centred.” from the report
Support with communication
The home used pictures and knowledge of facial expressions and body language to help people make choices and express their needs.
“People had access to their care plans that were provided in a pictorial format to promote their understanding and to encourage their involvement.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff checking on people, talking with them and responding when they needed help. Staff respected privacy, dignity and people's wish to spend time alone.
“People were cared for and supported by staff who were caring and sympathetic to their needs.” from the report
Recent medication error
seriousThe report says a recent medication error had been referred through safeguarding procedures. The home had taken action to reduce the chance of it happening again, so families should ask what that action was and how it is checked.
“The registered manager informed us of a recent safeguarding referral they had made in relation to a medication error.” from the report
- 01What caused the recent medication error, and what specific changes were made to prevent another one?
- 02How will staff identify my relative's choices, discomfort or distress if they cannot explain these using speech?
- 03How will you support my relative to eat and drink enough, particularly if they refuse food or fluids?
- 04How are DoLS restrictions, including safety locks, reviewed and balanced with opportunities to go out?
- 05How will my relative and our family or advocate be involved in care plan reviews and raising concerns?
This was an unannounced inspection of the whole service, covering all five CQC questions; the inspector observed care and reviewed two care plans, risk assessments, medicines records and quality audits. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 May 2017 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 The Lodge
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 January 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Staffordshire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £980 to £1,230 a week. 85 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“We particularly appreciate the companionship Dawn gives in the evenings when she plays cards and Scrabble with my mother.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.