Archived: White Lodge

Updated 2 May 2020

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

White Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider had completed a provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

Some people at White Lodge were not able to fully share with us their experiences of using the service. Therefore, we spent time observing interactions between people and the staff supporting them in communal areas. We spoke with the registered manager, the operational manager, a care worker and an agency care worker.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medicines records. We looked at six staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 2 May 2020

About the service

White Lodge is a four-bedded residential care home that was providing personal care to people who have a learning disability, sensory impairment and physical disability and health care needs. There were four people living at the service at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The culture in the home was not risk adverse. People received their medicines as prescribed and there were safe medicines administration systems in place. The home was clean and tidy, and staff were trained in infection control. The provider had processes in place to learn from incidents and accidents and to ensure that the people were supported safely.

We observed sufficient staffing levels during the inspection and saw staff were unhurried in their interactions with people. The provider had appropriate policies and systems in place to protect people from abuse. Staff received regular support and supervision and were trained to meet the needs of people living at the service.

Comprehensive care plans mostly identified people's needs and the choices they had made about the care and support they received. The provider supported staff to deliver care and support in line with best practice guidance and to support good outcomes for people. The service worked with other organisations to ensure they delivered joined-up care and support and people had access to healthcare services when they needed it. People were encouraged to maintain a healthy, balanced diet, based on their individual dietary needs.

There was a strong emphasis on person-centred care. Staff were friendly and caring when supporting people. Staff spoke about people with genuine interest and affection. Staff understood that some people had difficulty communicating their needs and wishes and proactively supported them using their preferred communication methods. People were supported using their preferred communication methods to be involved in making decisions about their care.

People were supported with individualised activities. The provider was proactive in their exploration, and use, of technology to support people to maintain contact with friends and family, their independence and to be engaged.

The provider had an ‘open-door’ culture and staff were positive about the registered manager. The registered manager demonstrated an open and positive approach to learning and development. There were robust quality assurance procedures in place to help drive ongoing improvements. Staff were encouraged to regularly feedback about service delivery and share ideas and suggestions on how the service could be improved.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 20 July 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.