Background to this inspection
Updated
16 December 2022
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.
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 undertaken by two inspectors.
Service and service type
Spring Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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 did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. Registered managers 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.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to 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 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We visited the service on 18 October 2022. We spoke with five people who used the service, one visitor, two health care professionals and seven staff members, including the deputy manager, housekeeping and maintenance. We observed the interactions between staff and people and reviewed records which related to care planning, assessing risk, quality monitoring, staff recruitment and health and safety and equipment checks. We undertook a tour of the building to check it was clean and hygienic.
Following our visit, we received feedback via the telephone or electronically from five people’s relatives and five staff members.
Updated
16 December 2022
About the service
Spring Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to 31 people at the time of the inspection. The service provides support to older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. The service is registered to support up to 46 people in one adapted building.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were not consistently protected from the risk of harm. Our observations showed that not all people were consistently safe when using equipment to transfer them or transport them. People’s health was not adequately monitored. We have made a requirement relating to the safe care and treatment of people.
The service was not consistently well led. There had been ongoing changes in management in the service. There was no registered manager. We have made recommendation to the provider around best practice regarding recruitment.
A programme of audits and monitoring supported the provider and management to identify shortfalls and address them. The comments received from people, relatives and staff and analysis of incidents were used to drive improvement.
There were systems in place designed to reduce the risk of abuse. There were systems in place to provide people with their medicines safely. There were ongoing improvements being made in the staffing levels, including recruiting new staff. Vacancies and the use of agency staff had reduced. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice
The service had kept up to date with guidance relating to the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring systems were in place to reduce the risks to people.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 11 September 2021).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to information we had received relating to people’s care. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.
The overall rating for the service has remained requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Spring Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.