Archived: Sutton Lodge Residential Care Home

Updated 24 July 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

Two inspectors carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

The service is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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 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 on day one and we told the provider we would be visiting on day two.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who worked with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 11 members of staff including the provider, registered manager, mentor manager, senior care workers, care workers, kitchen staff and activities worker. We spoke with three visiting professionals.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with a healthcare professional and fire officer about the service. We met with the provider to discuss our findings.

Updated 24 July 2019

About the service

Sutton Lodge Residential Care Home provides personal care for up to 24 older people in one single storey building. At the time of the inspection 18 people were supported some of whom were living with dementia.

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

We found multiple concerns at this inspection relating to the safety of the environment and management of people’s care needs. In addition, the provider had not ensured authorisation was sought when people were deprived of their liberty when in receipt of their care. The provider had not ensured staff had received up to date training or that enough staff were available to ensure people received safe, person-centred care.

Following the inspection, we met with the provider to discuss our concerns. As a result, the provider has made the decision to close the service. We will continue to work closely with the provider and local authority until people have moved to alternative accommodation. Where a service is rated inadequate overall it would usually be placed into special measures. This is a process which ensures the service is monitored closely. Because the provider has made the decision to close the service on this occasion it will not be placed into special measures.

The impact of the concerns were that people’s care and support was not planned effectively to meet their needs in the way they preferred. Not all areas of support people required were met and they were at times in distress or anxious because of this. Staff did not have enough time to spend with people and this meant people were at risk of isolation.

Staff had not received up to date training to ensure they knew how to manage people’s care safely in line with legislation and best practice. This placed people at risk of avoidable harm.

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.

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 6 March 2018). The service had been rated requires improvement four consecutive times prior to this current inspection. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. Enough improvement had not been made at this inspection and the provider was still in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to safety of the premises and management of risk, staff training and staffing levels, person-centred care and safeguarding of people from improper treatment, in addition to the provider’s oversight of the service. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

The provider made the decision to close the service following the inspection. We will work with the provider and local authority until the service is closed to ensure people are moved to alternative accommodation safely.