3 and 7 September 2015
During a routine inspection
The inspection took place on 3 and 7 September 2015 and both days were unannounced. The home was last inspected July 2013 and was found to be non- compliant in the care and welfare of people who use services. A follow up inspection in February 2014 showed the service to be compliant in all areas.
Lydgate Lodge provides care and support for up to 64 older adults. The home has four units, Honeysuckle, Wilton, Oakwell and Blossom. Two of the units provide support for people living with a diagnosis of dementia. Each unit has a communal lounge, a quiet lounge and a dining area.
There are enclosed gardens to the side of the building that can be accessed by people who live in the home.
The home had a registered manager in place. 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.
People who lived at the home and their relatives told us they felt safe living at Lydgate Lodge.
The staff we spoke with could identify types of abuse and were aware of how to raise concerns about harm or abuse. The safeguarding training for staff was out of date. The registered manager wasn’t referring incidents in line with the policy of the service.
We asked people who lived in the home whether there were enough staff. They told us they felt there were not enough staff to respond to their needs in a timely manner. Staff we spoke with also told us they did not feel there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. We observed people had to wait long periods of time to receive assistance with their continence.
The home had recruitment and selection system in place which ensured staff had the right skills and knowledge to carry out their role.
However, the service had not invested in staff training to ensure they had the appropriate skills. The training for staff was out of date and staff had not received supervision and appraisals as part of their support. The registered manager told us they had plans in pace to rectify this in the next week.
Staff had a good understanding of the needs of people who used the service. The care records were comprehensive but not person centred. Only one of the people we spoke with had been involved in the development of their care plan.
There was no evidence to show the service provided activities aimed at stimulating people through the day. Staff were expected to organise activities as part of their role.
The dining experience in the four units was varied. On one unit people were not offered a choice of vegetables to accompany their meal food or portion size. On other units, the dining experience was more positive.
The experience of care was varied within the units. On three units we saw staff treated people with respect and dignity. On another unit, staff did not spend time with people and any interaction was brief.
We asked people who used the service about the way they had been treated. They felt staff were very kind and caring.
The registered manager had a presence in the home every day, they also worked the occasional night duty. Staff we spoke with felt supported by the manager.
The manager was not offering staff support through supervision and appraisals. They acknowledged they had not been carrying out appraisals and had put plans in place to address this.