Annandale Lodge

Annadale Lodge provides residential and nursing care for up to 26 older people with physical disabilities and those who may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 24 people using the service.

Accommodation is provided over the ground and two upper floors with various lounges, a dining room, and an accessible garden.

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

People received safe care and were protected against avoidable harm, neglect, and discrimination. Risks to people’s safety were assessed and strategies were put in place to reduce the risks.

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.

People received support from staff who had undergone a robust recruitment process. They were supported by regular, consistent staff who knew them and their needs well.

Medicines were safely managed. Systems were in place to control and prevent the spread of infection. The provider ensured that lessons were learned when things went wrong, so that improvements could be made to the service and the care people received.

The service was well managed. People, relatives, and staff were very positive and about the leadership of the service and praised the registered manager highly.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and actions were taken, and improvements were made when required. Staff felt well supported and said the registered manager was open and approachable. The service worked in partnership with outside agencies.

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 5 October 2017.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained Good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Annadale Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

About the service

Annandale Lodge is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 24 people aged 65 and over. At the time of the inspection they were supporting 22 people.

Annandale accommodates 24 people across four floors, each bedroom has an en-suite facility. One the ground floor is the kitchen, lounge and a conservatory leading to the garden.

We found the following examples of good practice.

•The service had a number of measures in place to prevent visitors from spreading infection, this included a process all visitors had to complete when entering the building. There was regular communication to visitors to ensure they were aware of the changes to procedures to keep themselves and people safe.

•Well-being was a priority for the registered manager. For people living at the service, there was access to an activity co-ordinator and people also had allocated one to one time with a staff member. The registered manager spoke about how supportive the staff team were to each other and they had the opportunity to recognise good support. This was rewarded by a hamper created for the staff.

•The registered manager assigned a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) champion on each shift. The PPE Champion ensured that there was enough PPE in the designated station and were ensuring staff were wearing these correctly and challenged their peers if they were not.

•The registered manager had robust checks in place to ensure not only the environment met the requirements to keep people safe but also to check staff competency. This included staff completing a COVID-19 quiz in their team meeting.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

At the last inspection on 09 June 2015 we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service had a registered manager. 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.

Without exception during our inspection we received highly positive comments about the staff and the way they cared for the people who used the service. People consistently told us they valued their relationships with the staff team and felt that they often went the 'extra mile' for them, which made them feel as though they really mattered. People were able to influence the care they received and this made them feel valued and in control of their life.

The service had a very strong, visible and person centred culture. This was reflected in discussions with the management, staff, people who used the service and relatives involved in the service and from records seen. Staff told us and we found that there was a drive from the registered manager and the provider to enable staff to provide the best possible care for people in a personalised and kind way.

The service was also caring and supportive towards the relatives of the people living in the home. Relatives told us how they were helped to understand their loved ones condition and this made them more confident in taking an active role in the care and support people received.

People told us they were safe and they liked living in Annandale Lodge. They told us their needs were met by staff employed at the service. Staff were aware of safeguarding processes and how to report any concerns to the registered manager or local safeguarding authorities.

People were involved in the development and the review of their care and support plans. Support plans were detailed and descriptive of how people wished to be supported. People were supported to take decisions about their care and be independent.

There were sufficient staff employed through robust procedures to meet people`s needs. People’s health care needs were assessed, reviewed and delivered in a way that promoted their wellbeing and improved their quality of life. People were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests.

The service promoted a culture that was open and transparent. Quality assurance systems were in place and these were used to obtain feedback, monitor performance and manage risks.

Due to the complex needs of some people, we spent some time observing people. We found that although no formal activities were taking place, staff were interacting positively with people and supporting them to listen to music, sit in the garden or watch television. One person told us, "It's just lovely to be here.'

We spoke with four staff about their knowledge of safeguarding processes. They were able to demonstrate how they would report concerns to relevant people if this was required.

We inspected the premises and maintenance and found they were suitable for the people living at Annandale Lodge.

We reviewed training records for the home and observed staff training was generally up to date which ensured that staff had the appropriate skills and knowledge to provide care for the people they supported.

We observed the quality assurance processes within the home and noted there were appropriate systems in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people who use the service and others.

We spoke with six people living in the home who told us they felt cared for and supported by staff. One person said 'It's like being in a hotel where everyone looks after you'. Another person said 'The staff are very kind to me'.

We spoke with two relatives who told us they were very happy with the care provided in the home and couldn't fault it.

We observed staff providing respectful care and support to people, and saw this was delivered in line with the care records we reviewed to meet people's needs.