Marlin Lodge

Updated 11 February 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 24 January 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 11 February 2022

This announced comprehensive inspection took place between 16 and 22 January 2019.

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

The care home accommodates up to 17 people with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum conditions, in two separate buildings. At the time of the inspection, the service was providing care and support to 16 people.

The service had an overall rating of 'requires improvement' when we inspected it in November 2017, with two breaches of regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. The provider needed to improve all key questions to at least good. At this inspection, we found they had made the required improvements and the overall rating has improved to 'good'.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

There were now effective risk assessments and systems to keep people safe from harm. Staff had been recruited safely and there were enough staff to support people safely. Staff took appropriate precautions to ensure people were protected from the risk of acquired infections. People’s medicines were managed safely, and there were systems to help staff learn from incidents.

People’s needs were regularly assessed so that they continued to receive effective care. Staff had been trained and supported to meet people’s individual needs effectively. Records of staff competence assessments were now being kept. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to seek people’s consent prior to care and support being provided. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink to maintain their health and wellbeing. They were also supported to access healthcare services when required.

People were now consistently supported by caring, friendly and respectful staff. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff regularly reviewed the care provided to people with their input to ensure that this continued to meet people's individual needs, in a person-centred way. The provider had an effective system to handle complaints and concerns. End of life care plans detailed people’s wishes.

The provider had quality monitoring processes in place and the registered manager carried out regular audits. People, relatives and staff were happy with the quality of the service. The provider had now employed an external auditor to carry out annual checks of the service on their behalf. The registered manager worked well with others to continually improve the quality of the service.