We carried out a comprehensive inspection of Chapel Lodge on 25 and 26 October 2016. The first day of the inspection was unannounced.Chapel Lodge provides care and accommodation for up to 23 older people. It is a converted chapel located in the village of Worsthorne, about two miles from Burnley town centre in East Lancashire. Accommodation is provided over two floors and all bedrooms are single. Six bedrooms have ensuite facilities and there are suitable bathroom and toilet facilities on both floors. There are inter-connecting lounges and a dining area. At the time of this inspection there were 21 people living at the home.
At the time of our inspection the service had a registered manager who had been registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) since 2010. 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 was last inspected on 30 July 2013 and was found compliant in all areas inspected.
Some people we spoke with were happy with staffing levels at the service. However, most people felt that more staff were needed to meet their needs. Staff also felt that more staff were needed to avoid delays in responding to people’s needs. The service provider took action to address this issue.
People living at the home told us they received safe care. Relatives also felt that people were kept safe at the home.
There were appropriate policies and procedures in place for managing medicines and we observed staff administering people’s medicines safely.
Records showed that staff had been recruited safely. The staff we spoke with understood the importance of safeguarding people from abusive practice and were aware of the service’s whistle blowing (reporting poor practice) policy.
People told us staff at the home had the skills to meet their needs. We found that staff received an appropriate induction and effective training.
Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The service had taken appropriate action where people needed to be deprived of their liberty to keep them safe. Where people lacked the capacity to make decisions about their care, their relatives had been consulted.
Most people living at the home and their relatives were happy with quality of the food provided. They told us they had lots of choice and could have something to eat or drink when they wanted to.
We received positive feedback about standards of care at the home from community healthcare professionals who were involved with the service.
People told us they could make day to day decisions, such as what they wore, what they had at mealtimes and what time they got up and went to bed.
We observed staff communicating with people in a kind and affectionate way. People told us staff respected their privacy and dignity and encouraged them to be independent.
People were supported by staff to access a variety of activities at the home and most people were happy with the activities available.
Regular residents meetings took place and people were asked for their feedback about the service they received. We saw evidence that the registered manager acted on the feedback received and any suggestions made for improvement.
The registered manager requested annual feedback about the home from people there and their relatives. A high level of satisfaction was expressed about standards of care at the home.
People told us they thought the home was well managed and the registered manager was approachable.
The registered manager carried out regular checks to ensure that appropriate standards of care and safety were maintained at the home.
We found that recent improvements had been made to the home environment and the service provider told us that further improvements were planned.