Raunds Lodge Nursing Home

Updated 15 December 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Our inspection was conducted by one inspector and an Expert by Experience who made phone calls to relatives of people living in the service. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

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

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

In planning our inspection, we reviewed information we had received about the service. This included information shared with us by other organisations including the local authority contract monitoring team. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We conducted our inspection between 19 October and 18 November 2021.

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, the provider, the administrator, two nurses, a housekeeper, a cook and two members of the care staff team. We also spoke with five people and seven relatives.

We reviewed a range of written and electronic records, including three people’s care plans, three staff recruitment files and information relating to the auditing and monitoring of service provision.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 15 December 2021

About the service

Raunds Lodge is a nursing home providing personal and nursing care to 31 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 33 people.

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

Staff were kind and caring and provided people with warm, person-centred care. Staff understood people’s individual care needs and preferences and used this knowledge to provide people with flexible, responsive support.

Staff promoted people’s dignity and privacy and supported people to enjoy food and drink of their choice. Care planning systems were effective. Staffing resources were managed safely and effectively to meet people's needs, despite ongoing national recruitment challenges. Staff recruitment was safe.

Training and supervision provided staff with the knowledge and skills they required to meet people’s needs. Staff worked together in a mutually supportive way and communicated effectively with a range of external organisations.

Systems were in place to ensure effective infection prevention and control (IPC). The provider, registered manager and staff team had implemented and maintained additional IPC measures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to keep people safe. People's medicines were managed safely.

Staff were aware of people’s rights under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and supported people to have maximum choice and control of their lives, in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The provider assessed and managed potential risks to people's safety and welfare. Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns to keep people safe from harm. Staff worked collaboratively with local health and social care services to ensure people had access to any support they required.

The service was well-led by the registered manager and the provider took a hands-on approach. They were both well respected in their roles. A range of audits were in place to monitor the quality and safety of service provision.

Lessons were learned when things went wrong and any complaints were managed effectively. The registered manager was committed to continuous improvement.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Requires Improvement (published 6 April 2020) and there was one breach of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

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.

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

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

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.