Garden Lodge

Updated 3 March 2021

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 the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 19 February 2021 and was announced. The inspection was announced prior to us entering the home, so we could ensure that measures were in place to support an inspection and manage any infection control risks. We also asked the provider to send us infection prevention and control policies and audit findings.

Updated 3 March 2021

Garden Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and 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.

Garden Lodge accommodates 10 people in one adapted building. At the time of our unannounced inspection there were 9 older people, some of whom were living with dementia, living at the service.

This inspection took place on the 8 January 2018 and was unannounced. At the last comprehensive inspection on 11 December 2015 we rated the service as good. At this inspection the service remains rated as good.

Why the service is rated good.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) records showed that the service had a registered manager. However, they were unavailable during this 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.

Staff demonstrated to us an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

Staff demonstrated their knowledge about how to report poor care practice and suspicions of harm. However, not all staff could demonstrate their understanding of what would be a safeguarding concern. Information and guidance about how to report concerns, together with relevant contact telephone numbers were displayed as a prompt for staff to refer to. Pre-employment checks were in place to ensure that new staff were considered suitable to work with the people they were supporting.

People were assisted to take their medication as prescribed. Processes were in place and followed by staff to make sure that infection control was maintained and the risk of cross contamination was reduced as far as practicable.

The service had building adaptations in place to help people with limited mobility. This meant that people could access all of the communal areas and garden.

Staff supported people’s individual needs in a kind, patient and respectful way. People’s privacy and dignity was promoted and maintained by the staff members assisting them.

People and their relatives were given the opportunity to be involved in the setting up and review of their individual support and care plans. Staff encouraged people to take part in activities and maintain their interests. People’s friends and family were encouraged by staff to visit the service and were made to feel very welcome.

People were supported by staff and external health care professionals, when required, at the end of their life to have a comfortable and as dignified a death as possible.

People had individualised care and support plans in place which recorded their needs. These plans informed and prompted staff on how a person would like their care and support to be given, in line with external health care professional advice. Individual risks to people were identified and monitored by staff. Plans were put into place to minimise people’s risks as far as practicable to allow them to live as independent and safe a life as possible.

People were supported by staff to have enough to eat and drink. People were assisted to access a range of external health care professionals and were supported by staff to maintain their health and well-being.

Staff were trained to be able to provide care which met people’s individual needs. The standard of staff members’ work performance was reviewed by the registered manager through supervisions, spot checks and appraisals. This meant that the registered manager monitored and supported staff through regular meetings and checks.

Compliments about the care provided had been received and the positive feedback shared with staff. Complaints were investigated and action taken to make any necessary improvements and to resolve to the complainants satisfaction wherever possible.

The registered manager sought feedback about the quality of the service provided from people, their relatives, visiting health and social care professionals, and staff. There was an on-going quality monitoring process in place to identify areas of improvement needed within the service. Where improvements had been identified, actions were taken. Learning from incidents took place to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Records showed that the CQC was informed of incidents that the provider was legally obliged to notify us of.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.