We carried out a review of the data available to us about Victoria Lodge on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Victoria Lodge, you can give feedback on this service.
Victoria Lodge is a residential care home providing regulated activity of accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care personal to maximum of 63 people. The service provides support to older people some of which have dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 61 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Systems and processes for safeguarding and whistleblowing were in place and understood by staff. People had risk assessments in place and told us they felt safe in the service. We found sufficient staff on duty to meet the needs and preferences of people. People’s medicines were safely managed and administered correctly. Current government guidance for infection control was being followed.
There were clear roles, and these were understood by staff and management. There was oversight of care and support in place for people to express their views and be involved in the care they received.
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 requires improvement (published 25 June 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.
We received concerns in relation to use of manual handling, falls management and personal protective equipment use. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe 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 remained Good based on the findings of this inspection.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the Safe and Well-led sections of this report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Victoria 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.
We found the following examples of good practice.
• The provider was preparing to facilitate safe visits between people and their loved ones. A conservatory had been built with dividing screens so people would be able to receive visits from their family. The conservatory had a separate entrance to prevent visitors entering the main building.
• Visiting professionals were required to complete a screening tool that would identify if they had been in contact with someone with COVID-19 prior to entering the home. Professionals were also required to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) while in the home.
• Staff were allocated to work within specific areas of the home and used separate exits when required to reduce their movement around the building. This reduced the risk of cross transmission around the home. PPE stations had been set up around the home to ensure that equipment such as masks, aprons and gloves was readily available to staff.
• For people who had tested positive for COVID-19 and struggled to isolate due to their understanding, a separate communal area had been put into place to ensure they remained within a designated area of the home to reduce risk to others.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
People’s experience of using this service:
People were supported by staff that were caring, compassionate and treated with dignity and respect. Any concerns or worries were listened and responded to and used as opportunities to improve.
People received person centred care and support based on their individual needs and preferences. Staff were aware of people's life histories and individual preferences. They used this information to develop positive, meaningful relationships with people. Staff were very knowledgeable about people’s changing needs and people and their relatives confirmed that changing needs were addressed.
People told us they felt well cared for by staff who treated them with respect and dignity and encouraged them to maintain relationships and keep their independence for as long as possible.
People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff understood and felt confident in their role. People told us the atmosphere at the home was relaxed and calm.
Staff liaised with other health care professionals to ensure people's safety and meet their health needs.
Where people lacked capacity, staff worked with the local authority to make sure they minimised any restrictions on people's freedom for their safety and wellbeing.
Staff spoke positively about working for the provider. They felt well supported and that they could talk to management at any time, feeling confident any concerns would be acted on promptly. They felt valued and happy in their role.
Audits were completed by staff and the registered manager to check the quality and safety of the service.
The registered manager worked well to lead the staff team in their roles and ensure people received a good service.
More information is in Detailed Findings below.
Rating at last inspection: Good. (Report Published 20 July 2016)
Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection based on the rating of good at the last inspection.
Enforcement:
No enforcement action was required.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk