Croft Lodge

Croft Lodge is a residential care home providing the regulated activity of accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care. The service can provide care and support for up to 24 people. At the time of our inspection there were 21 people using the service.

Croft Lodge is a large adapted domestic property in the seaside town of Teignmouth. It has gardens and sea views from some aspects.

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

People received safe care and support and they told us they felt safe living at Croft Lodge. Staff understood safeguarding procedures and were confident in reporting any concerns. Risks to people's safety were assessed and well managed, and people's care plans detailed current risks and individual needs.

There were sufficient numbers of staff who were safely recruited to meet people's needs.

Medicines were well managed, and the registered manager had worked closely with pharmacies in the area to ensure the local pharmacy staff shortages did not impact delivery of peoples’ prescribed medicines. Staff received training in relation to the safe administration of medicines and their competencies were checked to ensure safe practice.

Infection control measures were robustly followed, and staff had access to sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE).

People's care needs were assessed before they went to live at the service, to ensure their needs could be fully met.

Staff received an induction when they first commenced work at the service and ongoing training that enabled them to have the skills and knowledge to provide effective care.

People were supported to eat and drink enough and staff placed a strong emphasis on the dining experience to ensure it was enjoyed by all.

Staff supported people to live healthier lives and access healthcare services. The service worked in partnership with outside agencies.

The service had a welcoming atmosphere where visitors were welcomed and encouraged. The premises were homely and currently undergoing a re-furbishment and refresh.

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.

People's health and social care needs were managed well. There were positive relationships with professionals which supported people's overall wellbeing. Staff provided care and support in a very caring and meaningful way. They knew people well and had built up kind and compassionate relationships with them.

The service was well managed. People, relatives and staff were very positive about the leadership of the service and praised the management team highly, especially the registered manager. There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. Actions were taken and improvements were made when required.

Staff felt well supported and said the registered manager was open and approachable. The provider was closely involved and there were good communication channels across the staff team.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 16 May 2019.

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to safeguarding and medicines management. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, responsive and well led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from Requires Improvement to Good based on the findings of this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Croft Lodge on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Follow up

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

Croft Lodge is a residential care home that was providing personal and nursing care to 22 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection, it is registered to provide support for 24 people. Croft Lodge is a large adapted domestic property in the seaside town of Teignmouth. It has gardens and sea views from some aspects.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People were not given the option of a bath or shower daily, preferences regarding this area of personal care were not captured. The service acted to remedy this the day after the inspection.

• People were supported by staff who knew how to identify and report any safeguarding concerns. Some risk information was not captured in relation to specific health concerns such as diabetes. The service remedied this the day after the inspection.

• People told us they were content living in Croft Lodge and were supported by staff they knew and liked. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Two people said there were some new staff they wanted to get to know more.

• Medicines were managed safely. We gave some feedback on how guidance for ‘as needed’ medicines could be improved and this was actioned promptly.

• People were supported to have choice and control in their lives. Staff asked people for consent and the service was acting within the principles of the MCA.

• People’s needs were assessed but not all care plans had been completed on the electronic care planning system.

• Staff had been through robust recruitment procedures and were supported through supervision and training to effectively meet people’s care needs.

• The manager was open and honest and knew what areas the service needed to improve and had a plan for this. Relatives told us they had seen an improvement in recent months. Staff told us they were listened to and feedback was actioned quickly.

• People were supported to move safely and staff enabled people living with a disability or dementia to navigate their environment with discreet support.

• People enjoyed the food, were given choice, and regularly offered drinks.

Rating at last inspection:

This service has not yet been inspected or rated under the current provider.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on our schedule.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service and liaise with the provider and local authority. We will re-inspect the service in line with our inspection schedule, or sooner if we receive information of concern.