Pennwood Lodge Nursing Home

Updated 25 June 2021

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 carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Pennwood Lodge Nursing Home 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 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 reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with ten members of staff including the area director, registered manager, care leader, care workers, the activities lead and a member of the domestic team.

We reviewed a range of records. This included a selective review of six people’s care records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at staff training information and quality assurance records. We spoke with three relatives of people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We gathered feedback from three professionals who visit the service.

Updated 25 June 2021

About the service

Pennwood Lodge Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 30 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 62 people. Care is provided across four separate units. At the time of our inspection visit, one unit was closed awaiting refurbishment work.

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

The registered manager had a good understanding of their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. 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 support this practice. People had access to a balanced diet and were supported to eat and drink in a safe way. Referrals to health professionals were made when required. The environment was appropriately designed and adapted to meet people's needs.

The service was well-led by a management team who were passionate about improving care and achieving the best possible outcomes for people at the home. Quality assurances systems were effective in monitoring the safety and quality of the care provided through robust audits and checks. People, relatives, staff and professionals spoke positively about the leadership of the service. One professional told us, "I would say things have improved over the last couple of years. The permanent staff seem on the whole pretty clued up and caring. One of the positive things to come out of COVID is probably we are in closer contact than we were before March 2020.”

The provider had infection control processes in place to protect people and prevent the spread of infection. There was plenty of personal protective equipment (PPE) available, and staff followed the provider’s guidance and expectations.

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 13 September 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to staff practice. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of effective and well-led only.

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 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.

The overall rating for the service has remained the same. 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 Pennwood Lodge Nursing Home 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.