We carried out a review of the data available to us about Breck Lodge Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Breck Lodge Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
Staff had received training to help ensure their knowledge on infection prevention and control was up to date. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection control hand gel was available throughout the home for all staff and visitors. The registered manager and staff told us enough stocks of PPE were available and we confirmed this on the visit. One person told us, “Staff wear masks all the time.” One staff member told us, “We have plenty of PPE in the building.” The home was clean and hygienic. Cleaning schedules were in place with cleaning audits and spot checks to support management oversight.
People were supported to maintain contact with those who were important to them, in line with current government guidance. Face to face visits took place and these visits were risk assessed on an individual basis. Garden visits, internet messaging, video and telephone calls were also available and used to maintain contact with loved ones.
The home maintained close links with other professionals and if medical advice was needed, this was obtained. People living in the home and the staff were tested regularly for COVID-19. The provider’s IPC policy was up to date and had been audited during the pandemic to reflect best practice and current guidance.
We undertook this inspection at the same time as CQC inspected a range of urgent and emergency care services in Lancashire. To understand the experience of social care providers and people who use social care services, we asked a range of questions in relation to accessing urgent and emergency care. The responses we received have been used to inform and support system wide feedback.
Breck Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to 14 people aged 65 and over at the time of our inspection. The service can support up to 15 people. Breck Lodge provides single accommodation and communal areas for people’s comfort, such as lounges, a dining room and an extensive rear garden.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe living at Breck Lodge. One person commented, “Yes, I am very safe here.” The management team regularly assessed staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s complex needs in a timely way. They checked procedures and records continued to ensure each person received their medicines safely. The registered manager completed risk assessments to guide staff to protect people from abuse, harm or inappropriate care.
People said they were provided with nourishing food and offered a choice of meals. One person stated, “It's very good food here.” Staff recorded each person’s progress and completed timely referral to other services to optimise their health. The management team had a programme of training to ensure a skilled workforce supported people effectively. One person confirmed, “The staff are experts, all of them, in what they do.”
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. People said staff discussed their care and sought their consent before assisting them.
The management team and staff put into practice their philosophy of optimising each person’s dignity in all aspects of care delivery. One person told us, “The staff have a lovely attitude. They are very friendly, wonderful really.” The registered manager completed assessments of each person’s needs with them and jointly devised care plans to ensure care was person-centred.
Everyone we spoke with stated the home had strong, supportive leadership. One person said, “The managers are amazing. I like that they work as a team and I have a really good relationship with them.” The management team monitored quality assurance to retain people’s safety.
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 07 April 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Breck Lodge Care Home is a residential home that provides personal care for up to 15 people. The home is situated near the centre of Poulton-le-Fylde and is within easy reach of local shops and facilities. The home is a large detached property with a parking area at the side. There are garden areas at the rear of the home. Communal accommodation consists of three lounges and a dining room. Accommodation is provided in 15 single rooms all of which have en-suite facilities. A chairlift provides access to the first floor.
There was a manager in place who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
We last inspected Breck Lodge Care Home in October 2016. We identified no breaches in the regulations we looked at.
During this inspection carried out in February 2017 we found the registered provider was working in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Appropriate applications to deprive people of their liberty were made to the local authorities as required. We observed care and support being provided in a safe way. Documentation recorded the care and support people required to maintain their safety.
Documentation we viewed evidenced people were involved in the planning of their care and people we spoke with confirmed this. People told us they were supported to see health professionals if the need arose and we found this was recorded in care documentation.
We looked at the auditing systems in place to identify shortfalls at the home and drive improvement. We found that when accidents or incidents occurred, the registered manager reviewed these. We spoke with staff that were able to explain the steps taken to minimise the risk of reoccurrence. The registered manager carried out checks of medicines, care records and the environment to identify if improvements were required.
Staff were able to explain the actions to take if they were concerned someone was at risk of harm or abuse. People who lived at the home told us they felt safe. One person told us, “I’m not worried about my safety here.”
We found medicines were managed safely. We observed medicines being administered and saw this was carried out safely. Staff told us they received training to enable them to administer medicines correctly and we saw documentation which evidenced this.
We reviewed staff files and found there were processes that ensured staff were suitably recruited. Staff we spoke with confirmed checks had been carried out prior to starting work at the home.
Staff told us they met with the registered manager on an individual basis to discuss their performance. Staff with were complimentary of the training provided and told us further training was being arranged to ensure their skills remained up to date. Staff spoke positively of the registered manager and registered provider. We found staff meetings took place to enable information to be shared and guidance sought if this was required.
We discussed staffing with people who lived at the home. People told us they considered there were enough staff to support them. Relatives and staff we spoke with raised no concerns regarding the staffing provision at the home.
People who lived at Breck Lodge Care Home told us they considered staff were caring. One person told us, “Staff are kind. They go out of their way to help me.” We observed people being supported with kindness and compassion.
During the inspection we saw an organised activity being provided. We observed people joining in a musical activity. The activity was seen to be enjoyed by people who lived at the home.
There was a complaints policy available at the home. People told us they would talk to staff if they had any concerns.
People told us they enjoyed the food at the home. We observed the lunchtime meal and saw this was a positive experience for people who lived at Breck Lodge Care Home. Staff gently encouraged people to eat and we saw people enjoyed their meal.
People who lived at the home told us they could speak with the registered manager or registered provider if they wished to do so. Staff we spoke with also gave positive feedback. They told us they found the registered manager and registered provider to be approachable and supportive. Relatives we spoke with also told us they found the registered manager and registered provider to be approachable.
People told us they were involved in their care planning and we saw documentation which evidenced this. We saw evidence that meetings were held to gain peoples’ views and a survey was provided to people who lived at the home. This was developed into an action plan to improve the service provided.
This inspection was carried out on the 20 and 23 October 2015 and the first day was unannounced. We also visited the service on the 29 October to collect some documentation we wished to review.
We last inspected Breck Lodge in July 2014 and identified no breaches in the regulations we looked at.
Breck Lodge is registered to accommodate up to 15 people with personal care needs. At the time of the inspection there were 14 people who lived at the home.
Accommodation is provided over two floors, with a stair lift providing access to the first floor. There are a range of communal rooms, comprising of three lounges, and a dining room. A garden area is sited at the rear of the home, with seating for people to use during the summer months. Car parking is available at the home.
The home has a manager who is registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
There were systems in place to protect people at risk of harm and abuse. Staff were able to define abuse and the actions to take if they suspected people were being abused.
We saw appropriate recruitment checks were carried out to ensure suitable people were employed to work at the home.
There were arrangements in place to ensure people received their medicines safely.
Staff knew the likes and dislikes of people who lived at the home and delivered care and support in accordance with people’s expressed wishes.
Processes were in place to ensure people’s freedom was not inappropriately restricted and staff told us they would report any concerns to the registered manager.
During the inspection we saw independence was promoted wherever possible. We saw people were supported to mobilise and engage in an organised activity with patience and understanding.
People were referred to other health professionals for further advice and support when appropriate.
People told us they liked the food provided at Breck Lodge and we saw people were supported to eat and drink adequately to meet their needs and preferences.
There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision to ensure training needs were identified and received appropriate training to enable them to meet peoples’ needs.
There was a complaints policy in place, which was understood by staff. People told us they were confident any complaints would be addressed.
The registered manager carried out some quality assurance checks. People who lived at the home were offered the opportunity to participate in an annual survey. We saw checks on the medicines and records were completed. However we found these were not always effective. This has been reflected under the rating, "Is the service well-led?" We have made a recommendation about quality improvement.
Documentation did not always reflect the risk minimisation strategies in place when risks had been identified. This has been reflected under the rating, “Is the service safe?” We have made a recommendation about the management of risk.
The registered manager notified the Care Quality Commission of all notifiable incidents that occurred at the home.
On another day we also spoke with the registered manager who was unavailable at the time the inspection visit took place.
This helped to answer our five questions: Is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service well led?
Below is a summary of what we found.
Is the service safe?
People told us that they felt safe and secure living at the home. People we talked with spoke positively of the qualities of staff team. One person told us, 'I am very happy here, no complaints about anything. The staff are very kind and this is my home now'.
We saw that people were treated with dignity and respect. One person we spoke with gave a good example of how staff had responded positively and made it possible for her to regularly visit the grave of a relative. This was very important to this person and much appreciated.
The home had proper policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards although no applications had needed to be submitted. Relevant staff had been trained to understand when an application should be made, and in how to submit one. This meant that people were safeguarded as required.
Medication practices were in the main, robust. Only staff that had received appropriate medication training had responsibility of the administration of medication. A regular medication audit was in place. This helped to ensure that medication practices remained safe, by ensuring that any shortfall was quickly identified and addressed.
The service was safe, clean, and hygienic. Equipment had been maintained and serviced regularly therefore not putting people at unnecessary risk.
The registered manager set the staff rotas. They took into account people's care needs when making decisions about the numbers, qualifications, skills and experience required. This helps to ensure that people's needs were always met.
Is the service effective?
There was an advocacy service, soon to be made available by the new homeowners, if people needed it. This meant that when required, people could access additional support.
People told us that they were pleased with the level of care that was being delivered to them and that their assessed needs were being met. From our observations and through speaking with staff it was clear that there was a good understanding of each person's assessed needs and that personal preferences were accommodated. One person told us, 'It is OK living here. I came in for the odd stay but now I live here. I like it here'.
People's health and care needs had been assessed with them. Although some people spoken with were unsure about their current care plan, they were unconcerned by this. On the care plans we looked at, each had been signed by the person or a close relative, to confirm their understanding and agreement to the content.
Is the service caring?
People were supported by kind and caring staff. We saw that care workers showed humour, patience and gave encouragement when supporting people. People commented, 'They listen to you, care for you very well, there are no problems at all'.
People using the service and their relatives and friends had opportunity to complete satisfaction surveys. We looked at the outcome of the most recent survey, responses were mostly very positive.
Is the service responsive?
People's preferences, interests, and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes.
People were offered a range of activities inside and outside the service regularly. The people spoken with said they were satisfied with the arrangements in place to support social activities and social interactions. These suited people's current needs. People also told us that visitors were welcomed and that they were able to see family and friends in private and at a time of their choice.
People knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy. However nobody expressed any complaints, only positive complements. We looked at the home's service user/family complaints procedure. This gave sufficient information about how a complaint could be made, the process of investigation, the time scale for a response, however some of the information required updating. The senior person we spoke with told us that no complaint had been made for a considerable period of time.
Is the service well-led?
The service worked well with a range of health professionals to make sure that people received their care in a joined up way.
Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the home and quality assurance systems that were in place. This helped to ensure that the quality of the service continually improved and that people received a consistent service at all times.
The members of staff spoken with told us that they were clear about their role and responsibility and that they felt well supported by the registered manager. We were also told that the staff team worked well together for the benefit of the people living at the home.
A range of routine audits were in place including medication and fire safety. This helped to ensure that a consistent service was maintained that helped to protect people and keep them safe.