Acorn Lodge Care Home

Updated 6 April 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

Three inspectors and 2 Experts by Experience completed this inspection. 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

Acorn Lodge Care Home 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. Acorn Lodge Care Home 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, Healthwatch and professionals who support with the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. 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.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with 14 people who lived at home and 17 people's relatives. 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 spoke with 12 members of staff including the registered manager, the deputy manager, 4 senior carers, 4 carers, the chef and the well-being co-ordinator. We spoke with 3 external healthcare professionals for feedback on their engagement with the service. We reviewed 5 people's care records and 4 people’s medicines records. We also reviewed records relating to training, recruitment and quality assurance.

Updated 6 April 2023

About the service

Acorn Lodge Care Home is a purpose-built residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 60 people. The service provides support to older people, younger adults, people with a physical disability and people with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 56 people using the service.

Care is provided across two floors known as Willow Way and Cherry Tree. People had their own bedrooms which all have an en-suite. There are large communal spaces on both floors and a large garden for people to use.

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

There had been significant improvements since our last inspection. The provider had responded to the issues we identified and improved governance systems ensured regulations were now being met.

There was a culture of continuous improvement within the home and from the provider. Quality assurance arrangements had been clearly defined at all levels which worked well to improve the overall care provided at the home. Audits and checks were undertaken on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis.

Improvements had been made to ensure accurate, complete and contemporaneous records for people were maintained. Care plans were regularly assessed and reviewed to ensure they reflected people’s changing needs. Staff were motivated by the management to provide high quality, person-centred care and there was a passionate and positive culture within the home.

Risks associated with people’s health and well-being were now managed safely. These risks had been identified, assessed and records clearly guided staff on how to minimise risks to keep people safe. Medicines were managed safely and in line with good practice standards.

People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. Staff understood their responsibilities to provide safe care and treatment. There was an open culture where staff felt safe to challenge poor practice. People and relatives talked positively about the compassionate nature of staff who cared for them. Staff respected people’s right to be treated with dignity and respect.

There were enough staff to provide safe care. Staff received and induction and training to be able to support people effectively.

People received timely access to healthcare when they needed it. Staff knew people well and could identify any early deterioration in people’s health or well-being.

People were encouraged to maintain a varied and well-balanced diet. Menu’s contained a wide variety of meal options and people had a daily choice of what they wanted to eat. People provided positive feedback about the food and meals were presented nicely.

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.

There were a wide variety of activities available to enhance peoples emotional, social and physical well-being. People also had opportunities to go into the community where they could benefit from a change of scenery.

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 14 August 2019) and there were breaches of the regulation.

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

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.