Archived: Chandos Lodge

Chandos Lodge is a residential care home for 34 older people who may have a diagnosis of dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 27 people living at the home.

At the last inspection in November 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People were supported to make safe choices in relation to taking risks in their day to day lives which helped people to maintain their own levels of independence. This was because staff made sure people had the equipment and aids they required to meet their needs. Staff had been trained and understood how to support people in a way which protected them from harm and abuse. There were arrangements in place to make sure staff were trained and competent in medicine administration which reduced risks to people’s safety and welfare.

Staff received regular training including dementia training, so they had the knowledge and skills to meet people's needs in an effective and personalised way.

People had regularly seen a variety of health professionals to maintain their independence, health and wellbeing.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff demonstrated their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and its relation to protecting people who used the service from unlawful restrictions. Records confirmed consent was sought for a variety of decisions in relation to the care people received. This confirmed people who used the service or their relatives had been consulted about and agreed to the care they received.

People who lived at the home and their relatives worked in partnership with staff to plan their care. Care records were personalised and contained detailed information about what was important to people. There was a caring, kind, staff team who knew and respected people as individuals and provided care which put people at the heart of all the care offered.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and understood the need for people’s privacy and confidentiality.

People had access and assistance to follow their chosen religious activities.

People told us they enjoyed the food served and the dining experience offered. Staff were aware of people’s dietary needs, to help them stay well.

People were encouraged to follow their individual interests and suggest what entertainment they would like at the home.

The manager and the provider actively sought people’s opinions about the home and activities offered to enhance people’s wellbeing. People knew how to raise any concerns or complaints were managed in line with the provider’s complaints policy and brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Regular quality audits had been performed to identify improvements and help maintain a quality service.

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well led?

This is a summary of what we found. This summary is based on our observations and evidence we found during the inspection.

Is the service safe?

People who used the service told us that they felt safe living at Chandos Lodge. People told us the staff were kind and friendly towards them and provided the care and support they needed.

People told us that they were involved in their day to day decisions and could make choices about what support they needed.

People's care records had been completed and these matched most of their individual care needs. We found that risk assessments were in place which meant people were not placed at risk of receiving inappropriate care and support.

Systems were in place to make sure that the provider learnt from accidents and incidents. We found that some piece of equipment in toilets needed to be replaced to ensure people were safe from cross infection.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberties Safeguards which applies to care homes. The provider had policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. We found that staff had knowledge of DoL's. This meant that people would be safeguarded as required.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual needs.

We found from our observations and from speaking with staff that they had an understanding of most people's care and support needs.

We were told by staff who worked at the home that they received training to enable them to support people effectively. Systems were in place for staff to receive support and guidance from managers to enable them to feel supported in their role.

Is the service caring?

People we spoke with told us that staff treated them kindly and that their needs were met. We saw staff interactions were supportive and respectful and that staff assisted people sensitively, whilst at the same time promoting their independence as much as possible.

We found that people were able to make choices about their food and drink and where they spent the day.

Is the service responsive?

From our discussions with people who used the service and their relatives we found they were confident that any issues they had would be responded to in a timely way.

Records showed that people received help and support from health care professionals when required such as doctors, dentist and chiropodists.

Is the service well led?

The provider had quality assurance systems in place. These systems included obtaining the views of people who used the service and their relatives.

Staff told us they received supervision and that staff meetings had taken place. This meant that staff felt supported by the manager and senior staff.

The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the home and the staff. One person told us: 'I'm quite satisfied here. It's a very happy place.' The visitor we spoke with said: 'I'm very reassured that X is being looked after. They do a great job.'

We watched staff as they cared for people. They provided care and support that met people's needs.

We found that staff knew about the needs of the people they were caring for. We looked at care records for three people and found that these contained guidance for staff on how to meet their needs. We saw that people's needs were reviewed regularly.

We found that the equipment that was used in the home was maintained appropriately and that staff had been trained in its use.

We saw that staff were supported to be trained to an appropriate standard and we looked at records which showed that the provider was regularly monitoring the quality of its service.

There was a system in place for people to make complaints if they were not happy with any aspect of the service.