Marina Lodge

Updated 17 December 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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

This inspection was conducted by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Marina Lodge is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Marina Lodge is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 1 person who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spent some time observing and listening to staff interactions with people. We spoke with the registered manager and deputy manager.

We conducted a visual inspection of the building and looked at a wide variety of records. These included people’s care and medicine records, monitoring documentation, staff files and audits used to monitor the service.

Following the inspection site visit we also contacted 2 relatives and 3 members of staff via telephone to request feedback on the service provided. We also contacted the fire authority to share the concerns found in relation to fire safety.

Updated 17 December 2022

About the service

Marina Lodge is a residential care home providing personal care to younger adults with mental health needs. The service can support up to 11 people. At the time of this inspection there were 10 people living at the service.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

Right Support

The service didn’t always provide care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs. External fire exits were blocked, there were insufficient bins to dispose of used PPE and a communal bathroom was not clean.

Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence. The use of as and when required medicines were not always appropriately recorded to include why it had been given and if it had been effective.

The service supported people to have the maximum possible choice, control and independence to promote control over their own lives. However, records did not evidence that people were encouraged to achieve their aspirations and goals.

Right Care

Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.

The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.

Staff assessed risks people might face. Where appropriate, staff encouraged and enabled people to take positive risks.

Right Culture

The quality assurance processes in place were not effective and failed to identify and address shortfalls in a timely manner.

Best practice guidance was not always followed which impacted people’s privacy and dignity.

Staff turnover was low, which supported people to receive consistent care from staff who knew them well. Safe recruitment processes were not always followed.

The provider worked well in partnership with other health and social care organisations, which helped to improve people’s wellbeing. However, they were not actively involved in engagement groups or forums organised by the local authority which aim to improve care services in the local area and share best practice.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 29 November 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the quality of care being provided and the providers oversight of the service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

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.

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 good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to environmental risks, cleanliness , recruitment of staff and quality assurance processes at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.