Archived: Bath Lodge Care Home

Updated 8 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 29 February and 2 March 2016 and was unannounced. This was a comprehensive inspection which was carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) which we received in January 2016. 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. We looked at the information provided in the PIR and used this to help us plan the inspection. Prior to the inspection we reviewed the records we held about the service, including the details of any safeguarding events and statutory notifications sent by the provider. Statutory notifications are reports of events that the provider is required by law to inform us about.

During the inspection we spoke with three staff and the registered manager. The service is registered for up to 17 people with needs arising from old age. However, because bedrooms would only be shared by specific request or consent, the usual maximum occupancy would be 12 people. People who use the service were able to give us some verbal feedback about their experience. We also observed the interactions between people and staff at various times throughout the inspection and had lunch with people on the first day to help us understand their experience. We observed how staff supported people in the service to meet their needs. We spoke with two relatives during the inspection and contacted a care manager to eek their views.

We reviewed the care plans and associated records for five of the people supported, including risk assessments and reviews, and related this to the care observed. We examined a sample of other records to do with the home’s operation including staff records, complaints, surveys and various monitoring and audit tools. We looked at the recruitment records for two recently appointed staff.

Updated 8 April 2016

Bath Lodge Care Home is a small home which usually only accommodates up to 12 people with needs relating to old age. Five further beds are available which would only be used where people specifically wished to share. The service does not provide nursing care.

The service has 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.

The service provided safe and effective care. People felt they were listened to and could raise any concern they might have, with the management and it would be dealt with.

People’s legal rights and freedom were protected by the staff. Staff looked after people’s dignity in the course of providing their care.

People’s health and dietary wellbeing were supported. Suitable activities were offered and people’s spiritual needs were provided for. People could choose to what extent they were involved in group or individual activities.

Care plans were individualised and regularly reviewed, to provide staff with the information they needed to meet their needs.

The service had a robust recruitment process to help make sure that the staff recruited had the necessary skills and suitable approach to meet people’s needs. Staff received appropriate training, ongoing support and supervision and felt their views about people’s needs and the service itself were listened to.

The service was well led. It was monitored by the registered manager and registered provider who sought to constantly develop and improve the service.