Downshaw Lodge

Updated 1 March 2022

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 care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 17 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service two days’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 1 March 2022

About the service

Downshaw Lodge is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 44 male adults with a range of needs arising from their physical and mental health. People at Downshaw lodge are living with dementia and, as a result of their illness, may present with behaviours that challenge. The accommodation is split into two units, named Mason and Sheldon, situated over 2 floors and provides 45 bedrooms and a range of communal and activity areas. The service can support up to 45 people.

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

Medicines were managed safely, stored appropriately and administered by staff who received training. Infection control systems and audits were in place to ensure a clean environment. People were protected from the risk of abuse and harm by staff who understood how to respond to any concerns. Staff were recruited safely.

People were supported by well trained and supported staff who understood their support needs. People’s needs were assessed, and equipment and plans put in place to meet these needs. 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.

Staff were kind and caring. People felt they were well treated and supported. Independence was promoted, and staff respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People's had comprehensive plans of care based on individual need, which included communication needs. An activity coordinator was employed to ensure people were able to follow their interests and hobbies. People knew how they could raise concerns about the service and were confident complaints would be responded to in quickly.

The registered manager and staff were clear about their roles and provided care which focused on ensuring good outcomes for people. The service used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of care they delivered. This included numerous audits which were used to drive improvement within the home. Staff worked in partnership with a variety of agencies to ensure people’s health and social 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 23 January 2019) and there were two breaches of 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 was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.