Goldthorn Lodge

Updated 12 January 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This unannounced inspection visit took place on 17 December 2018. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

As part of the inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service, including notifications. A notification is information about events that by law the registered persons should tell us about. We asked for feedback from the commissioners of people's care to find out their views on the quality of the service. We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection, we spoke with two people who used the service and two relatives. We also spoke with the registered manager, the clinical lead, two staff and two visiting professionals.

We observed the delivery of care and support provided to people living at the location and their interactions with staff. We reviewed the care records of two people. We also looked at other records relating to the management of the service including quality audits and medicine administration records.

Updated 12 January 2019

Goldthorn Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Goldthorn Lodge accommodates up to 12 people in one adapted building with individual rooms and two flats. At the time of the inspection there were 12 people using the service.

This inspection took place on 17 December 2018 and was unannounced. At the last inspection completed on 26 May 2016 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A Registered Manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were happy at the home and staff understood how to protect people from abuse. People were supported by sufficient staff and risks to their safety were assessed and planned for. People received their medicines as prescribed and staff followed procedures to protect people from the risk of cross infection. When things went wrong there was a process in place to learn and make changes.

Peoples needs were assessed and planned for and they received consistent support from suitably skilled staff. People received the support with food and drinks that they needed. Health needs were understood and the environment was suitable for people’s needs. People had choice and control of their lives and staff were aware of how to support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service were supportive of this practice.

People were supported by caring staff who knew them well. People had support to live as independently as possible and were supported to make choices. Communication needs were assessed and people had their privacy and dignity maintained.

Peoples needs and preferences were understood by staff and they were supported to engage in the community and do activities of their choice. People could make a complaint and there was a system in place to respond. People’s end of life wishes were considered.

The registered manager understood their role and notifications were submitted as required. We saw people, relatives, staff and other professionals gave their feedback about the service and this was used to shape changes. Governance systems were effective in ensuring people’s needs were met safely. The provider sought to continuously improve the service and work in partnership with other organisations.