CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Walkern Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People had individual risk assessments and staff knew how to support them during distress. Medicines were stored safely and records checked by inspectors were accurate, although staff were reminded about mask use in the office.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and staff had training for their roles and for complex needs. People were supported with food, healthcare, communication and lawful decision-making.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in daily decisions and supported to maintain independence and privacy.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs, goals and preferences. People were supported with communication, activities, community access and relationships with family and friends.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The management team used audits, feedback and incident learning to monitor and improve the service. There was no registered manager in post at the time, but the current manager had applied to become registered.
What inspectors found, July 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no major concerns identified.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 28 June and 11 July 2022. One inspector spoke with people, relatives, staff and health professionals. They also reviewed care plans, medicines records, staff recruitment files and quality checks.
The home was supporting three people and could support up to four. Inspectors found that people were safe, treated with kindness and supported to make choices. Staff helped people build skills, access the community, stay healthy and keep in touch with family and friends.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The home had improved from Requires Improvement in Safe, Effective and Well-led at the previous rated inspection. Caring and Responsive remained Good.
Personalised care
Care plans reflected what people could do independently, their preferences and their goals. Staff knew people well and supported them in their chosen way.
“People's care plans were an accurate reflection of the support they needed and what people could do independently.” from the report
Community and activities
People were supported to choose how they spent their days, including going out, attending day centres, seeing family and taking part in activities.
“People were supported to access the community and to join in with activities and days out in their local area.” from the report
Positive behaviour support
Staff were trained to recognise triggers and support people during distress. Physical restraint had not been needed at the time of inspection.
“Due to this and support plans in place, they had not needed to use any physical intervention to promote people's safety.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The management team used audits, meetings, feedback and incident learning to check the quality of care and make improvements.
“Audits and quality checks were completed and signed off.” from the report
Registered manager not yet in post
minorThere was no registered manager at the time of the inspection. The current manager had applied to become registered, so families may want to ask about the progress of that application.
“At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. The current manager had applied to become the registered manager.” from the report
Mask use in the office
minorInspectors said all staff needed to wear a mask in the office when the door was open and people or colleagues were moving in and out.
“However, all staff needed to ensure that when in the office, if the door is open and people and colleagues were in and out, a mask must be worn.” from the report
- 01Has the current manager now become the registered manager, and who is responsible for the home if the application is still pending?
- 02How do staff identify and respond to each person's triggers or signs of distress?
- 03How will you make sure staff wear masks in the office when people and colleagues are moving in and out?
- 04How are people's goals, new skills and community activities reviewed and recorded?
- 05How are medicines that are prescribed as needed reviewed to make sure they are used only when necessary?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, including infection prevention and control, and the inspection included visits on two dates. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 July 2022 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, March 2021
Inspected but not rated; the home had improved since the last inspection, but its previous Requires Improvement rating remained.
This was an unannounced targeted inspection on 04 March 2021. One inspector looked at safeguarding concerns, people's human rights and infection control. They spoke with two people and four staff, and reviewed care, medicine, training and management records.
Inspectors found that safeguarding investigations had improved and that the home was no longer in breach of Regulation 13. They also found better quality checks, safer medicine records and good infection control arrangements. People were supported with choice, independence and their day-to-day wishes.
People's views about staff support were mixed. One person felt that staff did not listen or care, while another said they liked the staff. The overall rating and the Safe and Well-led ratings were not changed because this visit looked only at specific concerns. The previous overall rating remained Requires Improvement.
Safeguarding improvements
The provider had improved how it investigated safeguarding concerns and shared lessons with staff.
“Enough improvement had been made at this inspection and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 13.” from the report
Medicines
Medicine records were clear, people received medicines when needed and regular checks were carried out.
“Medicine administration records (MAR) had been completed and were clear to read.” from the report
Quality checks
The manager and provider had checks to identify improvements and followed up changes.
“The manager had a robust quality assurance processes in place which identified where improvement were needed in the service.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices, personalise their flats and develop independence in line with the principles of Registering the Right Support.
“People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured about the home's arrangements for preventing and managing infection, including PPE, testing, hygiene and distancing.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Mixed views about staff support
needs fixingPeople did not all feel equally well supported. One person said they felt ignored and uncared for, although another person said they liked the staff.
“I don't know I feel like no one listens and no one cares.” from the report
- 01What action has been taken in response to the person's view that staff did not listen or care?
- 02How do you investigate and record safeguarding concerns, and how are lessons shared with staff?
- 03How often are medicine audits and staff competency checks completed?
- 04How can residents raise concerns, and how do you check that they know who to contact?
- 05When will the next comprehensive inspection take place, and what is being done to address the previous Requires Improvement rating?
This was a targeted inspection of specific safeguarding, human rights and infection control concerns, so it did not assess all five key questions and did not change the previous ratings. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 March 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.
Every inspection of Walkern Lodge
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- July 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not ratedWell-led: Inspected but not rated
- June 2019Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2018Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 31 July 2017.
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 £1,300 a week. 82 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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