Background to this inspection
Updated
4 June 2021
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.
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 carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
Dunniwood 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 who was 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
Prior to the inspection we reviewed information and evidence we already held about the home, which had been collected via our ongoing monitoring of care services. This included notifications sent to us by the home. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send to us without delay. We also sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
During the inspection
We spoke with four people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with nine members of staff including; operations director, registered manager, deputy manager, care, kitchen and housekeeping staff.
We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.
We reviewed a range of records. This included six people's care records and multiple medication records. We also looked a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. This included training data.
Updated
4 June 2021
About the service
Dunniwood Lodge is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 44 people. Some people using the service were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 32 people living at the home.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
People were safeguarded from the risks of abuse. Staff received training in this area and knew how to recognise and report abuse.
Risks associated with people's care were identified and risk assessments were in place to minimise the risk.
Staff were knowledgeable about risks associated with people's care.
Accidents and incidents were monitored, and trends and patterns identified. Lessons were learned when thinks went wrong.
People received their medicines as prescribed. Competency checks were carried out and staff were knowledgeable about medicine management.
The provider had a robust recruitment procedure which ensured new starters were recruited safely.
We observed staff interacting with people and socially engaging with them. Staff we spoke with felt there were enough staff. They also told us that the management team was supportive and assisted them when needed.
The provider made sure infection control processes helped keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The home was clean and there were PPE stations situated at several points throughout the home.
The provider had managed the current pandemic well and implemented effective procedures.
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 29 March 2018).
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to poor management, staffing and infection control standards. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
Prior to the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
The overall rating for the service has remained good. This is based on the findings at this inspection. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from the reported concerns. Please see the safe, caring and well-led sections of this full report.
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
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Dunniwood Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk