Lingdale Lodge

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question good. At this assessment the rating has remained good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. Robust procedures were in place for addressing incidents, accidents and complaints.

Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. One staff member told us, “We complete accident forms describing the incident, any injury to a person, where it occurred and what our response was. We report to the manager and always inform families. Incidents are always taken seriously, and these are shared with the staff team. The communication is good.”

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. A thorough assessment was undertaken of people’s needs. This was in consultation with the person, family members and any professionals involved in their care.

The service ensured there was continuity of care, including when people moved into the service. Information was collated before people started to use the service. The registered manager told us, “We assess people’s needs and risks and create an initial care plan. Staff have access to this information in care files and this is updated as the person settles into the service, and any change in need or risks are shared at handovers on each shift. This enables us to develop a longer term and more comprehensive care plan tracking people’s changing needs.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. Staff concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect.

The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately with statutory agencies in line with their responsibilities. Staff had received training in safeguarding people from abuse and were aware of how to raise any concerns. They were confident any concerns raised would be dealt with appropriately. All the people and relatives told us they felt safe. One person said, “I feel safe here and well looked after.” A relative said, “I feel my [family member] is completely safe here. They are well looked after, and I can tell they’re happy."

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. Care plans were detailed and guided staff on how to provide safe care to people. Plans identified people’s specific needs, for example, in relation to their mobility, skin integrity, and nutrition and hydration, and how these should be managed. This meant staff were able to support people safely.

People were involved in managing risks. A relative said, "[Family member] mobility is declining, and staff and the family have discussed this. For now, we have decided that carers will continue to support [name] without aids as that is their wish to, but a wheelchair may now be needed to support them when they walk longer distances.”

Overall, the provider detected and controlled potential risks from the care environment. We did identify some communal and bedroom radiators required some maintenance to ensure all piping was not exposed. The provider was responsive and addressed this concern on the day of the inspection. All other equipment and the facilities were monitored and managed safely to ensure people and staff were not exposed to, or at risk of harm.

People were able to decorate and personalise their bedrooms as they wished. We found bedrooms were managed safely and people were not exposed to risk from any equipment or belongings they brought with them. Three safe and secure accessible garden and patio areas were in use. We saw staff monitoring these areas throughout the inspection. Safe seating and even ground mitigated the risk of falls or injury. The provider aimed to support people to remain independent whenever possible. One relative told us, “It is a nice environment. They don’t put anybody at risk here in my view.”

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

Care and support to people was provided promptly. We observed multiple instances where care staff were on hand to respond to people’s requests for support.

No one we spoke with told us of any concern in relation to the numbers of staff on duty. Staff response times were prompt. A relative said, “There are plenty of staff around, they ‘jump’ in straight away.” Staff were patient with people and had the time to support people with their care needs. We heard one member of staff say to a person [when they were assisting them to a standing position], ‘take your time, there is no rush’.

All areas of the service were monitored safely including bedrooms, communal areas and outside spaces.

The provider had systems in place to determine staffing levels which were reviewed regularly. The provider had a robust recruitment policy which showed pre-employment checks were undertaken to ensure appropriate staff were employed.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.

The service and equipment were visibly clean, and risks associated with infections were assessed. Regular checks and audits of cleanliness and hygiene ensured the infection prevention and control (IPC) were managed effectively.

Staff had received training in infection prevention and control. One relative said, “This care home never smells. It’s always clean.”

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

Medicines were administered and stored safely, and records of administrations were kept. Where people were prescribed medicines on a ‘as and when’ basis there were protocols in place to ensure people received these appropriately. We found medicine reviews had been requested when people were taking these medicines regularly. Medicine reviews are important to ensure people continue to receive the correct medicines to meet their current health needs, and there is no over prescribing.

Staff who administered medicines had been trained to do so. We observed a medicine round and staff followed best practice. Competencies of their practice were undertaken by the registered manager. Medicines were audited regularly and any discrepancy recorded.