Archived: Walmer Lodge Residential Home

The service had a registered manager. 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.

Walmer Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Walmer Lodge accommodates 12 people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people living there.

People told us they felt safe. However we found the correct safeguarding reporting procedures were not always followed. Staff were aware of the actions they would take to keep people safe however they had not received the appropriate training in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Overall risks to people’s health, safety and welfare were identified and action taken to manage the risk. Staff demonstrated a sound awareness of infection control procedures.

There was enough staff deployed. All the required checks were done before new staff started work and this helped protect people.

Staff were not appropriately trained to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to meet people’s needs. However, staff did receive regular supervision and appraisal.

Medicines were managed safely. However, some improvements were needed to ensure a consistent approach. We recommended the provider reviews their medicines policies and procedures in line current guidance.

Most people told us they liked the food. People were offered a choice; however the variety of food was limited.

People had access to a wide range of healthcare professionals and we saw evidence people’s healthcare needs were met.

People were treated with respect and kindness and were supported to maintain their independence. However, improvements were required in relation to people being able to prepare their own snacks and drinks. People were given the opportunity to take part in a variety of social activities.

Information about complaints was displayed in the home. People told us the registered manager was approachable and listened to them. People were supported to share their views about the service, although views were not always taken into account.

People told us they would recommend the service and some people told us they had already done so. People had confidence in the management team.

We found the provider’s quality monitoring systems were not always working as well as they should be. We were assured of the provider's commitment to making the required improvements.

We found four breaches of regulations in relation to safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment, staffing, good governance and notification of other incidents. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

On the day of the inspection there were 12 people using the service.

Walmer Lodge is registered to provide accommodation with personal care and support for 12 people who have a learning disability or mental health needs. The home is in the Manningham area of Bradford, approximately one mile from the city centre. The accommodation is arranged over three floors and there is no passenger lift. All of the bedrooms are single occupancy and three have en-suite toilets. There is a lounge and dining room on the ground floor and outside space to the front of the building.

There is a registered manager in post, who is also one of the owners. 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 found staff were being recruited safely and there were enough staff to take care of people and to keep the home clean. Staff were receiving appropriate training and they told us the training was good and relevant to their role. Staff told us they felt supported by the management team and were receiving formal supervision where their could discuss their on-going development needs.

People using the service told us staff were kind and helpful. We saw people were treated with respect and compassion. They also told us they felt safe with the care they were provided with. We found there were appropriate systems in place to protect people from risk of harm.

People told us meals were good and there was a choice of Asian and English foods.

Care plans were up to date and detailed what care and support people wanted and needed. Risk assessments were in place and showed what action had been taken to mitigate any risks which had been identified.

People’s healthcare needs were being met and medicines were being managed safely.

People were encouraged to access community based activities and to visit family and friends.

We found the service was meeting the legal requirements relating to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

We saw some redecoration and refurbishment had taken place since our last inspection to improve the accommodation. We also saw there was a plan in place to continue with a programme of environmental improvements. We found the home was clean and tidy.

A complaints procedure was in place and people told us if they had any concerns they would tell the registered manager or the deputy manager.

We saw some audits were taking place to monitor the quality of the service, however, these needed to be tested over time to make sure they were effective. Additional checks needed to be introduced to provide a robust governance system.

We found one breach of regulation and you can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

People we spoke with told us they were satisfied with the service and they felt that their dignity was respected. One person we spoke with said 'I like it here it is homely' another said 'They look after me here very well'. Staff we spoke with said people were treated with respect and their privacy and dignity was respected at all times.

Carers told us the staffing levels were appropriate and staff were supported through their training. The staff we spoke with were complimentary regarding the training they had been provided with. One member of staff told us 'I like it here they really support you' another said 'I love working with people'.

We talked to three people who used the service all told us there was nothing to do, one told us how they went out and wandered the streets for most of the day because they preferred that to staying in the home. Another told us the staff were 'good' but they 'did not help them'.

We looked at the premises and found that some parts of the home had not been sufficiently maintained to ensure they were both safe and suitable for people living at the home.

We found people were at risk because people's personal records were not accurate and not fit for purpose. People had not been protected against the risks of receiving care or treatment that was inappropriate or unsafe because staff had failed to carry out an assessment of their needs and the planning and delivery of care and where appropriate, treatment had not met people's individual needs or ensured their welfare and safety.