Alpine Lodge

Updated 9 August 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 carried out by 2 inspectors, a Specialist Advisor 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

Alpine 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. Alpine Lodge is a care home with 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, including Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return before 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 9 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 7 members of staff including the registered manager, the deputy manager, a senior carer, a chef and 3 care staff. We also spoke with the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We looked around the building and observed staff supporting and interacting with people.

We reviewed a range of records including 4 people's care records, medication records and daily care records. We looked at 4 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also reviewed a variety of management documents relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.

Updated 9 August 2023

About the service

Alpine Lodge is a care home providing accommodation, personal and nursing care to older people, including people living with dementia. The service can support up to 67 people over 2 floors and 4 units. At the time of our inspection there were 45 people using the service.

The home is purpose built with ensuite bedrooms and communal areas. The home has a secure garden accessible from the ground floor.

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

Overall, the feedback from people, relatives and external stakeholders was positive.

It was clear that although improvements had been made since the last inspection there were still some areas that required embedding or further improvement.

We have made a recommendation about records. Care records for people needed to be clearer and recordings more consistent.

We have made a recommendation about the oversight of medicines where are self-administered. More robust checks needed to be in place to ensure that people were receiving treatment as prescribed.

Incidents and accidents were recorded appropriately to ensure lessons were learnt. Staff understood safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures and stated they would report any issues immediately.

We observed staff interacting with people and found they responded to them in a timely way.

Effective systems were now in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided, to address cultural issues, and to expand on the involvement of people, relatives, and staff in how the service was run. However, we needed to see these embedded to show improvements developed and sustained.

The registered manager and senior management team were responsive to our inspection findings. We received updates on the day and following our inspection about what action they were taking to address any issues we had identified.

Recommendations

We have made recommendations about care records and record keeping and self-management of some medicines.

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 5 December 2022) and there were 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.

At our last inspection we recommended that the provider keep staffing levels and staff deployment under review. At this inspection we found staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 5 December 2022). The service remains rated requires improvement. The service has been rated requires improvement or inadequate for the last 4 consecutive inspections.

This service has been in Special Measures since December 2022. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

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.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Alpine 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.