Normanton Lodge Care Home

Updated 22 April 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 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 one inspector.

Service and service type

Normanton 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. Normanton 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they 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

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 sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and 11 members of staff including the senior manager, registered manager, care coordinator, deputy manager, maintenance person, kitchen assistant, domestic assistant, senior care assistants and care assistants. We also carried out phone calls to seven relatives about their experience of the service provided.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training, quality assurance information and further policies and procedures.

Updated 22 April 2022

About the service

Normanton Lodge Care Home is a residential care home providing. personal care to up to 67 people. The service provides support to older people, people living with Dementia and people who have a sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were 47 people using the service.

Normanton Lodge Care Home accommodates people in 2 adapted buildings, one part of the building is called the Glen Care Village and comprises of 24 individual apartments each with their own bathroom and kitchen. Normanton Lodge comprises of 43 individual bedrooms with communal living areas and bathrooms.

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

The provider’s system and processes for managing people’s finances were not robust. The providers procedure for managing people’s finances had not been followed by staff, this left people at risk of financial abuse.

Systems and processes to identify risks to people needed strengthening as we found risks had not been consistently identified or mitigated. We also found that the system in place to analyse accidents and incidents did not include those that had occurred in the Glen Care Village. We raised this with the management team who told us the actions they would immediately put in place to ensure this was rectified.

Medicines were safely managed. Regular checks of the medication stock were completed and associated records, we reviewed these records and we found people had their medication administered safely and in line with the prescribing instructions. We also found the service to work in partnership with other professionals to ensure people received their prescribed medicines as required. There was clear detailed guidance for staff for safe administration of 'as and when required medicines' (PRN).

Care plans included detailed individual information about people’s choices and preferences the information had been regularly reviewed and reflected people's changing needs. Care plans detailed people’s specific dietary preferences, staff were knowledgeable of this and we could see people’s preferences were being met.

The registered manager carried out regular quality audits of the service and had created an action plan to address any areas for improvement. We reviewed this action plan and could see that actions had been completed or were in progress.

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.

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 good (published 22 May 2019)

Why we inspected

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. This included checking the provider was meeting COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

We received concerns in relation to the systems in place to support people in managing their finances. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection. We found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Normanton Lodge Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Enforcement and Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to protecting people from the risk of abuse and governance at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.