• Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Russell Lodge Care Centre Limited

235 Lowestoft Road, Gorleston, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR31 6JH (01493) 668265

Provided and run by:
Sam Moonoosamy

All Inspections

17 April 2014

During a routine inspection

We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. We used the information to answer the five questions we always ask;

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well led?

This is a summary of what we found-

Is the service safe?

People we spoke with told us that the felt safe at the service. One person said, "The staff her are really good, they make sure that I am Ok and I feel very safe and secure. Another person told us that they enjoyed going out on their own into Great Yarmouth. They used a local taxi service and the provider ensured that they had contact details at all times and knew when to expect their return.

However, paperwork and records held by the service did not support some of the things people who used the service told us. For example, although one person told us that they went out on their own at least once a week, there was no risk assessment to ensure that this was done safely.

Is the service effective?

The providers recruitment processes were followed by were not effective. They did not ensure that the right checks were in place or that staff had the skills, character and experience required.

Quality assurance measures were not effective in identifying where records were inaccurate. One care plan we looked at had been reviewed twice since a major life event had affected the person concerned but no changes had been made to the care plan.

Measures to assess whether people who used the service had capacity to make decisions themselves were not effective.

Is the service caring?

People who used the service told us that they were well cared for, they were happy with the staff team and the care provided. One person told us, "I am very happy at the moment, they are doing all they can for me." Another person we spoke with said, "I have never been happier in all my life." We asked one person about their meals and they told us, "The food here is lovely, they know what I like and what I don't like and remember. There is always plenty to eat and it is nice and hot."

Is the service responsive?

Records showed that a simple assessment of people's needs was completed before they moved to the service. However this did not cover all aspects of the person's life with little or no information about their background, social likes and dislikes or routines.

People who were able to access community facilities outside of the service were supported in doing so, one person we spoke with told us staff enabled them to go out for a drink on a regular basis, which they enjoyed. However, there was no evidence that the service responded to people's needs when they were within the service. Activity records showed that the only activities documented involved visits from family or friends. There were no activities structured to meet people's assessed needs.

Is the service well-led

The service was managed by its owner who spent most of their time at the service, supporting people who used the service as well as staff. This meant that at times, important paperwork was not being completed and measures were not in place to ensure the effectiveness of some of their procedures such as the recruitment process.

Staff supervision was not taking place on a regular basis. This was because the staff team was very small, with the provider working alongside all of them regularly. This meant they could identify and deal with any issues that may arise.

9 August 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During our last inspection on 13 May 2013 we found that the provider was not meeting these standards. We carried out this inspection to see if the provider had made the changes that they told us they would make.

We looked at care records. These had been reviewed and now contained the information and detail we required. They showed that measures had been taken to minimise risk.

We also looked at recruitment records. These now contained the details required within the regulations and ensured that suitable checks were being made on all new employees.

13 May 2013

During a routine inspection

During our inspection, we spoke with four people who used the service. They told us that their care was good, but that there was not much to do and one person told us that, 'If I want to go out anywhere, my family take me.". The people we spoke with told us that the food was good and staff helped them with their day to day needs.

We looked at the care records of four people who used the service and found that some of these had not been completed to a satisfactory standard, with gaps and omissions found. Other records we looked at also lacked required details.

17 September 2012

During a routine inspection

During the inspection we spoke with four people who used the service. They told us they were well looked after and that staff were always polite. One person told us that staff "Are always there to help me."

Individual care plans were in place to show how people's care and support was to be given, and although a new format was planned the current care plans were satisfactory.

Staff were well trained and spoke with people appropriately. The owner of the service managed the home and was able to talk with people on a daily basis to ensure their needs were met.

6 January 2011

During a routine inspection

We spoke with five people who lived at the home. They told us that their needs were met, that they were consulted with about the care that they were provided with and that they were occasionally provided with the opportunity to participate in activities that were of interest to them. They told us that the staff always treated them with respect and that their privacy was respected. People were complimentary about the home's environment, the staff that worked at the home and the quality of the food that they were provided with. They all said that the routine of the home was relaxed and that they felt at home and safe living there.