All inspections: Astbury Lodge Residential Care Home

The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 23 July 2014.

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 was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looks at the overall quality of the service.

The last inspection took place on the 27 September 2013 when it was found to be meeting all the regulatory requirements looked at and which applied to this kind of home.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

Astbury Lodge Residential Care Home is a two-storey service that provides care for up to 41 older people including two 10 bedded households for people with dementia. The home is close to the local shops and other community facilities. On the day of our visit there were 41 people living in the home.

All the people we spoke to told us that they felt safe at Astbury Lodge Care Home. Comments included; “Very good here” and “It is fine”. Relatives that we spoke with told us they felt the service was safe and they had no concerns. Comments included; “We feel that [our relative] is safe”. The service had a range of policies and procedures which helped staff refer to good practice and included guidance on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People told us they were happy with the care and support they received and felt their needs were being met.

The relationships we saw were warm, respectful, dignified and with plenty of smiles and laughter. Everyone in the service looked relaxed and comfortable with the staff.

We saw that the on-going review of the risk assessments and care plans led to referrals to other services such as tissue viability and hospital visits in order to ensure people received the most appropriate care.

Staff members we spoke with said that the registered manager was very approachable. Throughout the inspection, we observed staff interacting with each other in a professional manner. The service had a robust quality assurance system in place with various checks and audit tools to show consistent good practices within the service.

We spoke with five people who used the service. They all told us they were happy at Astbury Lodge and had no concerns with the care provided. Comments from them included: "They feed me well, look after me well and I can't complain", "The staff here have made me feel so comfortable. I couldn't expect any better" and "The girls (staff) are smashing. Anything you want and they do it for you."

At the beginning of our inspection we were given a tour of the home by a member of staff. We found the home to be very clean throughout. All of the rooms we examined were in a good state of repair. In addition to this the carpets and flooring were in very good condition.

We examined the induction plan and found that all areas of basic training such as safeguarding and moving and handling had to be completed during the induction process. The manager told us that new staff members were on probation during their first six months of employment so their skills and competencies could be assessed.

We found there was an effective system in place to deal with complaints. It was evident there was a detailed audit trail of how concerns were managed and dealt with to the complainants satisfaction where possible.

We found that records were kept securely and could be located promptly when needed. This included staff personnel files and clinical records for people who used the service.

We found that people's privacy, dignity and independence were respected and that people's views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and delivered in relation to their care. One family member said, "The staff treat people with dignity. They are very kind. They don't talk over people" Another said, "Nothing is too much trouble for the staff" One person who used the service said, "On the whole they have been really good. They make you feel comfortable."

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. One person who used the service said, "They look after you, that's the main thing." Another said, "The food here is good. These girls here are nice."

We found that people who use the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. One family member said, "The care is excellent here. The home is spotless. They have cultured a home from home atmosphere."

We found that people were cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard. One family member said, "The care is great. All the staff are lovely." Another said, "The manager is excellent. Proactive"

We found that the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people receive.

We spoke with six people who were living in the home. All said they had been asked what their needs were before admission and the registered manager had discussed with them the care the home could provide. They told us staff always consulted them about their individual needs and involved them in decisions about their care and treatment.

People said staff were always careful to make sure doors were closed to protect their privacy and dignity.

One person we spoke to had been involved in interviewing prospective members of staff.

All the people we spoke with said they received the help they needed. One person said "I've been here for about six months. I've never had

any complaints about the care and I've never heard anyone else complain'.

Another said "I am well looked after by the staff and I like living here".

People said they could do as they pleased and that there were no restrictions. Two people told us they regularly went out with family and friends and also that staff would accompany them to the local shops if they wanted. One of them said 'I like it here, I can have visitors when I want and go out when I want.'

People we spoke with told us that they felt safe and well cared for in the home. We asked them if they would know how to raise a concern about something that was worrying them. They expressed confidence that if

they had a problem they would be able to discuss it with the registered manager and that it would be taken seriously.

All the people we spoke with said the staff treated them well and that there were enough staff to support them to fulfil their needs. Comments included "the girls are really nice, they come when you call for them", and 'the staff are wonderful, they couldn't do any better".

The Local Involvement Network had visited the home in October 2011 and said that it was a well run care home providing care to a very high standard.

We also spoke with the local authority commissioning team, who said they had carried out a review in October 2011 and had no concerns about the care

provided.

These older reports are from our old approaches to inspection, including those from before CQC was created.

Archived: Astbury Lodge Residential Care Home

All Inspections

23 July 2014

During a routine inspection

27 September 2013

During a routine inspection

22 January 2013

During a routine inspection

27 January 2012

During a routine inspection

Reports under our old system of regulation