The Care Quality Commission

Archived: Astral Lodge

2 Cumnor Road, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5DW (020) 8642 1884

Provided and run by:
Astral Lodge Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

11 June 2013

During a routine inspection

At our last inspection in November 2012 we identified an area where the provider was not meeting the essential standards of quality and safety. The provider sent us an action plan to tell us how they would become compliant with the regulations. We carried out this inspection to review improvements. We also looked at other areas of the regulations as part of the inspection.

We spoke with six people at the service, two members of staff and the registered manager on the day of the inspection. Following the inspection we contacted a professional who visits the service and spoke with two relatives of people who use the service. Most of the information we were given was positive. People who used the service spoke highly of the staff. One person told us 'this is a first class place with first class staff.' Another person said 'the staff are the best crew I have known for years.' We saw that the interactions between staff and people using the service were warm and friendly.

The family members were generally happy with the service. They felt they were kept informed and that the care provided was good. One of the relatives we spoke with said 'this is the third place we tried and I am so happy he has settled here.' We looked at care records and although some people's care needs seem to be met we saw that changing needs and associated risks may not always be identified or picked up.

We found that there were adequate procedures in place for the administration of medication. But we found evidence that staff training was not up to date and there was no mechanism with which to monitor staff training. There were adequate quality assurance systems in place and there had been improvements to the recording of information about people who use the service and to the records for the general running of the home.

21 November 2012

During a routine inspection

We spoke to five people who use the service. They all told us staff treated them with dignity and respect. They told us they attended regular house meetings to talk about the running of the service. One person said 'staff treat me well, if I want help with something I just ask and they help me'.

All of the people we spoke to told us they had care plans. They told us they met with their key workers and were involved in planning their care.

People told us there was always plenty of staff around and they felt safe. They told us they could talk to staff about any concerns they had, staff would take their concerns seriously and would do something about them.

10 February 2011

During a routine inspection

We spoke to six people who use the service. They all told us that they hold and attend regular meetings with managers and staff to talk about the running of the service. One person told us, 'everyone is encouraged to speak and everyone's point of view is listened to'.

People told us that they had agreed consent to treatment during an initial assessment carried out when they first moved into the home. One person told us, 'if I had to go into hospital or had to have treatment that I did not understand I would speak to the managers or the nurses in charge and the treatment would be explained to me'.

They all told us that they had care plans, they knew what the purpose of care planning was and how it could help them. They all told us they were involved in the care planning process and had a copy of their care plan in their rooms.

Two people told us they can smoke in their bedrooms, they had been involved in completing risk assessments with managers and staff and had agreed to keep their bedroom doors closed and their windows open when they had a cigarette.

All of the people we spoke to told us that they really enjoyed the food prepared by the chef. One person told us "the food is excellent, plentiful and tasty", they told us "we have a weekly meeting to discuss what food to buy for the following week". Another person told us "there is always a choice of meals and we can have tea and coffee when we like".

People told us that they felt safe living at Astral Lodge. They can talk to staff about their concerns and they were confident staff would always take their concerns seriously and would do something about them.

People told us that the home is always clean and tidy and they are encouraged to keep their bedrooms tidy. They were very happy with the overall comfort and appearance of the home.

People told us that they always get their medication on time and get to see their General Practitioners or other health care professionals when they need to.

All of the people we spoke to told us that they were well supported by the staff team and the managers. One person told us, 'there is always plenty of staff around and they always treat me with respect'.