Newgate Lodge Care Home

Updated 25 February 2022

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.

We received information of concern about infection prevention and control measures at this service. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 8 February 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 25 February 2022

About the service: Newgate Lodge Care Home is a care home that provides accommodation with personal care for up to 55 older people, some of whom may have conditions such as dementia. On the day of our visit there were 47 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service: People we spoke with told us they were very happy living at Newgate Lodge Care Home. People we spoke with and their relatives said they felt safe and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs.

Staff took steps to safeguard vulnerable adults and promoted their human rights. Incidents were dealt with appropriately, which helped to keep people safe. People’s health needs were identified and external professionals involved if necessary. People and staff were also supported with their well-being by the provider and management team.

People told us care staff were caring, supportive and kind. We observed staff members supporting people in a dignified and confidential manner. There was also lots of laughter and fun and people we spoke with and their relatives said that people enjoyed positive and therapeutic relationships with the staff team. The environment had been adapted to promote the needs of people living with a dementia in relation to colour, signage and lots of tactile and age appropriate displays.

The chef and staff had received training in relation to promoting good nutrition for older people. Staff were encouraging people who were under-weight to eat fortified foods. A fortified diet describes meals, snacks and drinks to which additional nutrients have been added through foods such as cream, butter, milk and milk powder. We found a range of menu choices were available and consideration had been given to ensuring people from different cultures received acceptable meals. We also saw that staff and visitors were invited to eat meals with people which promoted a sociable, family environment.

Care plans were detailed and showed people were involved in planning their own lives with staff support where able. Plans were person-centred, meaning people were at the heart of how they wanted their care and support to be provided. We discussed ensuring specific techniques used to support people when they became distressed were more clearly recorded for staff to follow and the management team agreed to address this straight away.

Staff told us they felt well trained and supported and spoke of the management team and provider in a positive light, stating that they felt listened to and always had access to managers or the directors. Checks were made on the ongoing competency of staff and we saw the service actively promoted staff to take further learning opportunities for their personal and professional development.

We saw staff upheld and promoted people’s rights relating to equality and diversity and people’s religious and cultural needs were well catered for.

People participated in a range of activities that met their individual choices and preferences. Staff provided the structured support people required and people we spoke with told us they enjoyed entertainment events and accessing the community with staff support. This promoted a good quality of life.

The service was well run. The management carried out lots of checks to make sure that the service was safe and of a good quality. People, relatives and staff said they found the management team approachable and people’s feedback was listened to and acted upon.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Rating at the last inspection: The service was rated as good and the report was published in August 2016.

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.