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
- Inspectors found clear risk assessments, safe medicines management, suitable staffing and a clean, well-maintained home. Staff were trained to protect people from abuse and learned from incidents.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and reviewed, staff training was kept up to date, and the home worked with health professionals. Mental capacity assessments and best-interest records were in place, and DoLS arrangements were managed carefully.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff understood how each person communicated and used information about gestures, behaviour, likes and dislikes to provide support. People appeared relaxed and comfortable with staff.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support plans were person-centred and covered people's health, personality, history, preferences and routines. People had access to different activities, including day services according to their wishes.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a positive, inclusive and person-centred culture, with regular team meetings and links with healthcare, social work and community services. The manager understood the location's lack of full compliance with current Registering the Right Support guidance.
What inspectors found, April 2019
The Lodge was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but noted its campus-style location did not follow current best-practice guidance.
The inspection took place on 22 March 2019 and was announced 24 hours beforehand. One inspection manager met all three people living at the home, spoke with the manager and one care worker, and reviewed care, medicines and management records.
Inspectors rated all five areas Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They found clear person-centred support plans, safe medicines, suitable staffing, good healthcare support and staff who understood how people communicated through gestures, behaviour, Makaton or objects.
The home had a positive and relaxed atmosphere. Inspectors noted that it was on the edge of a campus-style setting and had not been designed in line with current best-practice guidance called Registering the Right Support. However, they found that the service promoted people's choice, independence and ordinary daily life.
The overall rating was Good, the same as at the previous inspection in September 2016. The report says legal requirements were met and no concerns were found about the support people received during the visit.
Clear personal support
Support plans explained people's needs, risks, preferences and routines in a clear way. They gave staff detailed guidance on how to provide individual support.
“People's support plans contained clear and easy to understand information about their needs and risks and how to support them effectively.” from the report
Communication support
Staff knew how people expressed needs and feelings when they could not communicate verbally. This included gestures, behaviour, Makaton and objects of reference.
“They had detailed information on the gestures or behaviours people would display when they were hungry, sad, happy or anxious or excited.” from the report
Safe medicines and healthcare
Staff received medicines training and their practice was checked. Inspectors also found that people could access health and social care professionals.
“Medicines were managed safely and people had access to a range of health and social care professionals in support of their needs.” from the report
Respectful atmosphere
Inspectors saw natural conversations and people who appeared comfortable with staff. People's preferences for quiet time and privacy were respected.
“During our visit, we saw that the conversations between staff and people who lived at the home were spontaneous and natural and they looked relaxed and comfortable in each other's company.” from the report
Learning from incidents
The staff made a change after a fall to reduce the chance of a similar incident happening again.
“One person had a fall in the lounge and the layout of the lounge was changed to avoid a reoccurrence of the same nature.” from the report
Campus-style location
minorThe home was on the edge of a campus-style setting and had not been designed in line with current Registering the Right Support guidance. Inspectors found that the service still promoted independence and ordinary life, and the provider was considering future provision.
“During our visit, we found that the service had not been designed in line with this best practice guidance.” from the report
- 01How will you support my relative's particular gestures, behaviours or other communication methods?
- 02How do you make sure support plans stay up to date as a person's needs and choices change?
- 03What activities and day services would be available, and how would my relative's preferences be respected?
- 04How does the campus-style location affect people's independence, privacy and access to the local community?
- 05How are medicines, health appointments and any changes in health monitored and recorded?
This was a planned, announced inspection that assessed all five CQC questions and looked at both the premises and care; inspectors met all three residents but reviewed two people's care and medicine records. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 April 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, October 2016
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support, with all five areas rated Good.
This was a comprehensive, announced inspection on 29 September 2016. Inspectors reviewed records, toured the home, checked medicines and safety systems, observed support, and spoke with staff and relatives. They could not speak directly with the two people living there because they had limited verbal communication.
Inspectors found that people appeared happy and comfortable. There were enough staff, recruitment checks were completed, medicines were stored and given safely, and care plans and risk assessments were up to date. Food and drink were available in sufficient amounts, with choices offered.
The home supported people with autism to make choices, take part in activities and keep contact with family and friends. Staff were described as caring and supportive. The overall rating was Good, and each of the five areas was also rated Good.
Up-to-date care planning
The care plans and risk assessments reflected people's current needs and were regularly reviewed.
“We found that the care plans and risk assessment monthly review records were all up to date in the files looked at” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to support people safely. Medicines were stored correctly, administered safely and matched the records.
“All the drugs stored were 'in date' and we saw records that showed stock had been checked in properly, stored correctly, and administered appropriately.” from the report
Caring relationships
Staff knew people well and supported them in a patient, respectful and encouraging way.
“We saw that staff interacted and supported people with care and patience.” from the report
Personalised support
People were supported to choose activities and interests that suited them. Their bedrooms and care information reflected their individual preferences.
“The records we saw were person centred. We observed that staff treated each person as an individual.” from the report
Good management systems
Staff felt supported by management, and the home used audits and action plans to monitor its work.
“The home had systems in place to assess the quality of the service provided to the people who lived there.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you support my relative to communicate their choices if they cannot explain them verbally?
- 02How will you keep my relative's care plan and risk assessments up to date when their health or needs change?
- 03What activities are available, and how will you support my relative to choose and attend them?
- 04How will you involve our family in care decisions and tell us about important changes?
- 05How do you check that staffing levels remain sufficient when people attend activities away from the home?
This was a comprehensive, announced inspection covering all five key questions and the overall quality of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 October 2016 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
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 January 2013.
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 £1,230 a week. 37 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
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