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What the CQC found at Victoria Lodge Care Home

Outstandingpublished 7 March 2020, 6 years ago

Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors were assured that infection risks were managed through testing, personal protective equipment, cleaning, social distancing and an up-to-date policy.
Effective?
Good
This was not assessed in the targeted inspection.
Caring?
Outstanding
This was not assessed in the targeted inspection.
Responsive?
Outstanding
This was not assessed in the targeted inspection.
Well-led?
Outstanding
This was not assessed in the targeted inspection.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, February 2021

Victoria Lodge Care Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control.

This was an announced, targeted inspection on 5 February 2021. It focused on how the home was prepared to prevent and control coronavirus infection.

Inspectors were assured that the home used personal protective equipment safely, supported testing, followed social distancing and shielding rules, and had an up-to-date infection control policy. Cleaning schedules and checks had also been increased.

The home had a visitor protocol, including temperature checks, lateral flow testing and risk assessments. A garden visiting pod helped people see relatives safely. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not give a standard Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate rating.

What inspectors praised
  • Safe visits

    Visitors had checks and testing before entering. The garden visiting pod allowed people to see and talk to relatives through a screen.

    “A visiting pod had been built in the rear garden.” from the report
  • Infection controls

    Inspectors were assured that the home had suitable arrangements to reduce the spread of infection, including safe use of personal protective equipment and testing.

    “We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
  • Cleaning and monitoring

    Cleaning was increased and extra checks were used to monitor cleanliness and whether staff followed the infection control policy.

    “Cleaning schedules had been increased and additional audits had been implemented to monitor cleanliness” from the report
  • Staff support

    Staff hours were reviewed, training was provided, and support was available for staff wellbeing during the pandemic.

    “The hours staff worked had been reviewed and amended which made staff feel supported.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How are visits currently managed, and are temperature checks, testing and risk assessments still used?
  2. 02How do you make sure staff use personal protective equipment correctly and safely?
  3. 03How often are cleaning schedules and infection control audits reviewed now?
  4. 04What testing is available for residents and staff, and how are possible outbreaks managed?
  5. 05What training have staff received since this inspection, and how is their wellbeing supported?

This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not assess the other four key questions or give a standard service rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 February 2021 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, March 2020

Rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found exceptionally caring, responsive and well-led care, with safe and effective care rated Good.

This was a planned inspection visit on 24 and 27 September 2019. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They observed care and reviewed care records, staff files, medicines records, training information and management checks.

The home was rated Good for Safe and Effective. Inspectors found people were protected from harm, medicines were given safely, staffing levels were suitable, and staff had the training and skills needed. People were supported with their health, food, drink, choices and consent.

Caring, Responsive and Well-led were rated Outstanding. Inspectors found a strong person-centred culture, very kind and respectful staff, detailed life story information, activities shaped around people's interests, and leaders who listened to people and relatives and acted on their views.

The overall rating was Outstanding. This was the same as at the January 2017 inspection. Responsive improved from Good to Outstanding, while Safe and Effective remained Good and Caring and Well-led remained Outstanding.

What inspectors praised
  • Personalised culture

    The home put people at the centre of care. Staff and managers were described as committed to understanding and meeting each person's individual needs.

    “The service has a strong, visible person-centred culture.” from the report
  • Meaningful activities

    Activities and events were based on people's interests, abilities and identities. Families and people living at the home helped plan them.

    “Activities and events were planned according to people's identities, abilities, interests and things they enjoyed, with a view to promoting positive and memorable experiences and a good quality of life for people.” from the report
  • Strong leadership

    Leaders created an open culture where people, relatives and staff could raise concerns and suggest improvements. The provider used audits and feedback to monitor quality.

    “The provider had effective auditing systems in place to monitor the effectiveness and quality of service provision.” from the report
  • Safe staffing

    Inspectors saw enough staff available to respond to people's needs. The provider also had arrangements to cover absences and checked staff before employment.

    “During our visit we saw there were sufficient numbers of staff to respond to people's needs when required.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How will you create and regularly update my relative's care plan and life story information?
  2. 02How will you match activities to my relative's interests, abilities, communication needs and cultural or religious preferences?
  3. 03Who will manage my relative's medicines on each shift, and how will you monitor that they are given safely and as prescribed?
  4. 04How will you involve me and my relative in care reviews, complaints and decisions about changes to care?
  5. 05How will you discuss and record my relative's end of life wishes, including where they would prefer to be cared for?

This was a planned comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions and the overall rating; the visit took place in September 2019 and the report was published in March 2020. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 March 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Victoria Lodge Care Home

3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.

  1. February 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent rating
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    Read what inspectors found at Victoria Lodge Care Home →

  2. March 2020Outstandingstayed Outstanding
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding

    Read what inspectors found at Victoria Lodge Care Home →

  3. March 2017Outstandingup from Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Outstanding

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. May 2015Good
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. February 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. November 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. February 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  8. December 2010

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 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.

Next steps

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