Archived: Jackman's Lodge

Stokefield Care Home provides care and accommodation for up to 30 older people, some of whom are living with dementia.

There was not a registered manager in place. The new manager was in the process of becoming registered. 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.

At our last inspection we found breaches of regulation. At this inspection we found actions had been taken to ensure the regulations had been met and the service had improved.

People’s medicines were administered safely by trained staff. People had access to a variety of healthcare professionals and staff worked alongside them to ensure people’s needs were met. Staff had undertaken training specific to the needs of the people that they were supporting.

People were given choices and involved in their care by staff. People were prepared food in line with their preferences and dietary requirements. People could engage in a variety of activities, events and outings. People’s cultural and religious needs were catered for by staff.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (2005). In most cases, the correct process was followed when placing restrictions upon people. We recommended that the provider reviews their MCA records to ensure that the correct legal process is always followed.

People were supported by staff that knew them well. Care plans were person centred and contained important information about people’s lifestyle, background and preferences. The manager undertook regular audits to ensure records were up to date and clear for staff.

People and staff got along well and caring interactions we observed were mostly positive. We observed one staff member speaking to someone in a way that was not considerate of their needs. We recommended that the provider ensures that all staff are considerate and respectful.

Staff understood their roles in protecting people from abuse. When recruiting staff, checks were undertaken to ensure that they were suitable for their roles. There were sufficient staff present to meet people’s needs.

Risks to people were assessed and measures were in place to protect people. Where incidents happened, actions were taken to keep people safe and prevent them from reoccurring.

People lived in an inclusive atmosphere in which they were involved in decisions about their home. Staff encouraged people to be independent and to make choices. The provider regularly sought people’s feedback and people were aware of how to make a complaint. Complaints were responded to appropriately by the manager.

Staff felt supported by management and could make suggestions to improve the lives of people living at the home. Staff provided support in a way that promoted people’s privacy and dignity.

Plans were in place to support people in the event of an emergency. Regular audits were undertaken to ensure the safety of the premises and equipment.

We found the service had a staff duty rota which reflected the numbers of staff on duty over any twenty-four hour period. We saw that documentation of staff on duty had been recorded correctly.

During this visit we spoke with the manager and three members of staff. We had discussions with five people who used the service.

People told us that staff were not always visible in the home but that staff support was available if they needed it. All the people we spoke with carried portable call alarms and told us that staff arrived quickly if they used their call alarms. One person told us, 'I can do most things for myself but they [staff] come and see to me if I need anything.'

During our visit we spoke with spoke with six staff including the Registered Manager. We also spoke with seven people including relatives and made observations throughout our visit.

People told us that staff were very caring at Stokefield Care Home. We were told 'Everyone is so nice' and 'All the staff look after me very well.' Although some people commented that there were frequently delays in care due to staff being busy helping other people.

People told us that they generally enjoyed the meals. We saw that there was a choice of menus each day. We saw that lunch was a sociable occasion which was shared with people who were attending from the sheltered accommodation next door.

We found that there had been recent problems with equipment. The dishwasher was out of use and the washing machine was being repaired when we visited.

Most people, relatives and staff we spoke with told us that there were frequent shortages of staff which resulted in people waiting for care.

We found that staff had received appropriate training, although some formal supervision meetings were overdue.

People told us that staff treated them with respect. One person described the staff as, 'very polite' and another said, 'They're always very respectful.' People said that they were supported to make choices about their daily lives and how they spent their time. They said that their privacy was respected when care was being delivered or when they wished to spend time in their rooms. A visiting relative told us that their family member was always treated with dignity by staff and that their family member was encouraged to make decisions about their care.

People using the service told us that they felt safe and well cared for at the home. One person told us, 'I like it here ' I've never had a problem since the day I moved in' and another said, 'To me, it couldn't be any better - everything here is 100%.'