CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Walton Lodge
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, July 2018
Walton Lodge was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with previous problems addressed.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 28 June 2018. Inspectors spoke with people using the home, relatives, staff and other professionals. They observed care and checked care records, medicines, staff files and quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People were protected from abuse, risks were managed, staffing was sufficient and medicines were generally managed safely.
Inspectors found kind and respectful staff who knew people well. Care was personalised, people were supported to make choices, and they were helped to take part in activities, work and community life.
The previous inspection in June 2017 had rated the home Requires Improvement and found two breaches. This inspection found that all the earlier concerns had been addressed. One medicine store initially needed a thermometer, but this was fixed on the evening of the inspection.
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff interacting with people in a caring and supportive way. Staff knew people well and responded to their needs.
“Staff knew people well and responded to their needs in an understanding way.” from the report
Personalised support
Care records reflected people's individual needs, preferences and communication methods. People were supported to have control over their lives.
“Support plans were easy to read and the use of photos and symbols were used to help people understand them.” from the report
Active lives and community links
People were supported with activities, holidays, jobs, family relationships and community involvement.
“People lived full and active lives and were involved in engaging with the local community.” from the report
Improved medicines systems
Checks had been added so medicine stocks matched records, and instructions for medicines used when needed were included in support plans.
“Extra checks had been put in place to ensure the amount of medicines stored tallied with the Medication Administration Records” from the report
Previous concerns addressed
The inspection found that the problems identified in June 2017 had been dealt with and the rating improved from Requires Improvement to Good.
“We found that the registered provider had addressed all the concerns raised at our last inspection and the service was rated Good.” from the report
Medicine storage check
minorOne medicine store did not initially have a thermometer to check its temperature. The issue was resolved on the evening of the inspection and a temperature record was then maintained.
“Medicine store room in the Fairways part of the home did not have a thermometer” from the report
- 01How do you now check the temperature of every medicine storage room, including the Fairways building?
- 02How will you make sure the improvements to medicines management found at this inspection continue?
- 03How would you communicate with my relative if they cannot easily express their wishes?
- 04What activities, work or community opportunities could my relative take part in?
- 05How are relatives involved in reviewing care plans and decisions about support?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall service, covering all five CQC questions and checking whether concerns from the June 2017 inspection had been addressed. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 July 2018 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, July 2017
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found caring and responsive support, but medicines and quality checks were not reliable enough.
This was an unannounced inspection in June 2017. Inspectors spoke with people, staff, a relative and a visiting professional. They observed care, checked five care plans, medicines records, staff files and the home's quality checks.
The home was caring and responsive. Staff knew people well, supported communication, respected privacy and dignity, and helped people take part in activities and make choices about food and daily life.
There were important problems with medicines. Stock did not always match the records, and the home could not show that medicines had been given as prescribed. There were also no clear instructions for medicines prescribed to be taken when needed.
The overall rating was Requires Improvement. Safe, effective and well-led were also Requires Improvement. Caring and responsive were rated Good. The provider was told to send a report explaining what action it would take.
Kind and personal care
Staff knew people well, supported communication and treated people with care and respect.
“We observed staff interacting with people and we found they knew people well and were caring and supportive.” from the report
Individual care plans
Care plans were detailed, regularly reviewed and reflected people's current needs and preferences.
“We looked at care plans and found they were detailed and reviewed regularly to ensure they were an accurate reflection of people's needs.” from the report
Activities and choice
People helped choose food, took part in shopping and meal preparation, and had activity plans covering interests and community activities.
“People had an activity plan in place to assist them in maintaining varied interests.” from the report
Staffing and recruitment
Inspectors found enough staff were available, and recruitment checks were completed before staff started work.
“We observed staff interacting with people and found there was enough staff available to meet people's needs in a timely way.” from the report
Medicines records and instructions
seriousMedicine stock did not match the records, so the home could not show that medicines had been given as prescribed. Medicines to be taken when needed did not have clear protocols stating the dose and timing.
“The service could not evidence that medicines had been administered as prescribed.” from the report
Quality checks missed problems
seriousThe audit system did not identify concerns about medicines or the inappropriate use of waterproof covers on communal furniture.
“On our inspection we identified concerns which had not been raised via the audit process.” from the report
CCTV consent evidence
needs fixingCCTV was used in communal areas, but the home could not provide documents showing that people had consented to this.
“However, we asked to see the consent forms and the registered manager could not access them on the day of the inspection.” from the report
No formal feedback system
needs fixingThe home did not run quality surveys or formal residents' and relatives' meetings, so there was limited documented evidence of people's views.
“There were no formal resident and relatives meetings which would give people an opportunity to comment about the service.” from the report
Staff appraisals
minorStaff had supervision but had not received regular annual appraisals.
“Staff commented they had not received regular annual appraisals, which was reflected in their staff files.” from the report
Allergen information
needs fixingInformation about allergens in food was limited and was still being developed.
“However, information regarding allergens in foods was limited.” from the report
- 01What has changed in the way medicines are counted, recorded and checked since the inspection?
- 02How do staff now record and review medicines prescribed to be taken when needed?
- 03Can you show us the consent records for CCTV in communal areas?
- 04How do you now gather and record feedback from residents and relatives?
- 05Have staff received annual appraisals, and how are missed quality problems now identified?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall service, following a comprehensive inspection in February 2015 when the provider was meeting the regulations. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 July 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 Walton Lodge
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2018Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2012
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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92 live-in carers within about an hour of Doncaster
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Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 77 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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