Arbour Lodge

Updated 16 December 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was conducted by 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service

Service and service type

Arbour Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Arbour Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people who used the service and 10 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with 7 staff members, the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records, these included 4 people’s care records, medicines administration records and governance and quality assurance records. We also looked at 2 staff recruitment files.

Updated 16 December 2023

About the service

Arbour Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 29 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia as well as people with physical disabilities or sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people using the service. Arbour Lodge accommodates people in one adapted building.

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

People told us they felt safe living at Arbour Lodge. Staff had been trained in safeguarding and knew how to escalate concerns for people’s safety. Risks were assessed, managed and known by the staff team. People received their medicines as prescribed and systems used for the management of medicines were safe. Staff followed guidance in infection control and the home environment was clean and tidy. Incidents and events were reviewed to ensure learning and improvement could take place.

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, relatives and staff felt the home was well managed. The registered manager encouraged feedback and had established strong working relationships with people, relatives and the staff team. There were governance processes in place to monitor and review the quality of care people received. Feedback was welcomed and encouraged and staff worked in partnership with external organisations to ensure people’s holistic needs were met.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 17 June 2020). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management of people’s health needs. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe section of this full report.

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 changed from requires improvement to 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 Arbour 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.