Lodge Group Care UK Limited

Lodge Group Care UK Limited is a domiciliary care agency and is based in the London Borough of Havering. The service provides personal care to people in their own homes. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do, we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection, there were 165 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe when staff visited them. Staff understood what abuse was and the actions to take if a person using the service was being abused. Risks to people were identified and care was planned to mitigate the risks. The recruitment procedures were thorough with appropriate checks undertaken before new staff members started working for the service. There were enough staff working to meet people’s needs. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Where people did not have the capacity to consent, the staff acted in accordance with legal requirements.

The management team had systems to monitor and improve quality of the service provided. People, relatives, staff and other professionals were encouraged to help improve the service provided to people. The registered manager was aware of when the CQC should be informed of events and incidents that happen within the service. There were regular audits and checks were undertaken to ensure the service was run well. The management team worked with a number of health and social care professionals and this helped to ensure people’s needs were fully met. People were treated equally regardless of their abilities, background, lifestyle, values, beliefs, and their cultures were respected.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 14 December 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

This was an ‘inspection using remote technology’. This means we did not visit the office location and instead used technology such as electronic file sharing to gather information, and video and phone calls to engage with people using the service as part of this performance review and assessment.

Lodge Group Care provides domiciliary care to people in their own homes within the London Borough of Havering. Not everyone using Lodge Group Care receives regulated activity; the CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with ‘personal care’; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. At the time of this inspection there were 165 people using the service.

There was 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 were safeguarded from the risk of abuse as the provider had systems to identify the possibility of abuse and stop it occurring. Staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported.

Staffing levels were managed and planned to ensure consistency and staff who were familiar to people at the service. There was an effective recruitment procedure in place.

People’s needs and risks were assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. The provider ensured people were supported safely. Where people needed specific support or care, we saw evidence that this was delivered in accordance with people's needs.

Care records demonstrated that when there had been changes in people’s needs outside agencies had been involved to make sure they received the correct care and support.

People received their medicines as prescribed and in accordance to their wishes.

Staff had a good understanding of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People who used this service were able to make choices with regard to their daily lives.

Care and support was delivered in a safe way by staff who had received appropriate training. Staff were supported in their roles through one to one meetings and appraisal of their work.

People were encouraged to do as much for themselves as possible. Records confirmed people’s preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded. Staff were knowledgeable about the people they cared for. People’s privacy and dignity were respected.

Where requested people were provided with sufficient food and drink and their individual nutrition needs were well supported.

There were systems in place to monitor how the service was run to ensure people received a quality service. The service sought feedback from people who used the service and their relatives, and we saw that this was acted upon. Where shortfalls or concerns were raised these were addressed. Regular audits and checks were also undertaken to ensure the service was run well.

People and their relatives could raise any concern and felt confident these would be addressed promptly. The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service.

There were clear lines of responsibility and accountability within the management structure and staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the service. Records relevant to the management of the service were accurate and fit for purpose.

People who used the service, their representatives as well as staff all commented positively about how the service was run, about its leadership and the culture within the service.

Lodge Group Care provides domiciliary care to people in their own homes within the London Borough of Havering. At the time of this inspection there were around 100 people using the service.

There was 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 using the service told us they felt safe when staff visited them. Staff had completed safeguarding training and knew what action they should take and how to report any concerns they had.

People had risk assessments in place. Where risks had been identified there were plans to manage them effectively. There was an accident policy and a contingency plan in place to ensure the service could continue in the event of an emergency.

Recruitment checks ensured that people were protected from the risk of being cared for by unsuitable staff. There was sufficient staff to provide people’s care.

Staff had been trained in a variety of areas and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. Systems were in place to support them and monitor their work.

We found medicines were managed safely and staff were trained to administer them as they were prescribed. People were supported to maintain nutritional and fluid intake. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and promoted their independence.

The provider acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), where people lacked the capacity to consent to their care relevant guidance had been followed.

Care plans were detailed, specific to the person and reflected people’s choices and preferences. People were involved in planning their care and were supported by external health professionals to maintain their health and wellbeing.

The service had a complaints procedure in place. People, their relatives and staff knew how to complain. Where complaints were made they were investigated and actions taken in response.

Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service, such as surveys, audits and spot checks.

During this inspection we found that the provider had implemented a new process to ensure that financial records were accurate and supervised. The manager told us that all staff had been updated on this process and advised of the importance of keeping good records.

People who use the service were not protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had not taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of financial abuse and prevent it from happening.

People told us they had no concerns with the way staff supported them to take medication. Staff told us they had been trained on how to support people in using medicines. Staff we spoke to had a good knowledge of how to support people and the correct procedures to follow.

There were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. We found that the service has undertaken recent training for staff key areas. The service had undertaken an assessment to ensure it has enough staff to look after people.

People who use the service, their representatives and staff were asked for their views about their care and treatment and they were acted on. We found written evidence in care plans that the manager of the service undertook 'spot checks' on the quality of service.