Archived: Grace Lodge

Updated 29 April 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 3 November 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of three inspectors.

Before the inspection, we reviewed records held by CQC which included notifications, complaints and any safeguarding concerns. A notification is information about important events which the registered person is required to send us by law. This enabled us to ensure we were addressing potential areas of concern at the inspection. On this occasion we did not ask the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) before our inspection. This was because we inspected the service sooner than we had planned to. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

As part of our inspection we spoke with the seven people who lived at the home, two relatives, three staff, the registered manager and a healthcare professional who visits the service regularly. We also reviewed a variety of documents which included the care plans for four people, three staff files, medicines records and various other documentation relevant to the management of the home.

The home was last inspected in 25 September 2013 when we had no concerns.

Updated 29 April 2016

Grace Lodge is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 15 older people, who may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people living at the home.

The inspection took place on 3 November 2015 and was unannounced.

The home had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs, call bells were answered promptly and people did not have to wait for their care. There was an effective recruitment process that was followed which helped ensure that only suitable staff were employed.

People told us that they felt safe and relatives said they felt confident that their family members were well looked after. Staff received training in recognising the signs of abuse and were aware of how to report concerns. Risk assessments were completed to identify potential risks and these were regularly reviewed and updated.

Medicines were managed well and staff were aware of emergency protocols in place for people. People were supported to maintain good health and had regular access to a range of healthcare professionals who told us that staff listened to their advice to keep people well.

People told us that the quality of food and portion size was good. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet. Where people required support to eat this was provided in a dignified and unhurried way.

Staff received necessary training and support to enable them to do their jobs. There were monitoring tools in place to ensure that training, supervisions and appraisals were kept up to date.

People described staff as “Obliging, “Friendly” and “Kind”. We saw positive interactions between staff and people who took time to explain what was happening. Staff had a good understanding of people’s legal rights and took time gain consent from people.

Each person had an individualised plan of care which gave details of the person’s preferences and needs. Staff knew people well and approached them with kindness. People's dignity and privacy was respected.

There were a range of activities for people to participate in. Some people and relatives had said they would like this to increase. The registered manager had acknowledged the comments and taken steps to address this by increasing the number and variety of activities available.

People and their relatives spoke highly of the registered manager who they said was approachable. Feedback was sought from people regarding the quality of the service and action was taken to address any concerns raised. A complaints policy was in place and people told us they would feel comfortable in raising any concerns.