Archived: Cedar Lodge

Updated 7 January 2016

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 is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on the 15 October 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed information we held about the service. This included any statutory notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We also looked at safeguarding concerns reported to us. This is where one or more person’s health, wellbeing or human rights may not have been properly protected and they may have suffered harm, abuse or neglect.

We spoke with seven people who used the service, two relatives, four staff and the manager.

We reviewed three care and support plans, medication administration records, three recruitment files, and records relating to the quality and safety monitoring of the service.

Updated 7 January 2016

The inspection took place on the 15 October 2015 and was unannounced. Cedar Lodge provides accommodation and personal care to 25 older people. There were 23 people living in the home on the day of our visit.

The home has a registered manager and they and the registered provider were available on the day of the inspection. 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 told us that they felt safe. Staff were clear about what was abuse and the steps that they should take to protect people. The likelihood of harm was reduced as risks to people’s health and welfare had been assessed. Risk assessments guided staff in how to reduce the risks and keep people safe.

There were some inconsistencies in the management of environmental risks and some of the safeguards need to be strengthened.

Checks were undertaken on staff suitability for the role and there were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet the needs of the people living in the home.

Medication was generally managed safely but we did find inconsistencies in the recording and checking systems. Staff would benefit from further guidance about when they should be administering some medications.

Staff received an induction to prepare them for their role and additional training was provided to support their learning and development.

People who lived in the home were positive about the quality of the food and our observations were that people enjoyed their meals.

People received the support they needed to maintain their health. Staff were proactive in their contacts with healthcare agencies and acted on their guidance.

Interactions between people using the service and staff were warm and friendly. Staff knew people they were caring for and what their care preferences were. Care plans were detailed and informative and reflected people’s needs. Where people’s needs changed, advice was sought and the plan revised.

People’s wishes and aspirations were identified as part of the planning process and efforts were made to help people achieve their goals.

People were positive about the leadership of the service and the care provided. Staff understood their role and were well supported. There were systems in place to ascertain people’s views and drive improvement.